14 March 2008

Bassolino must take a step back

Bassolino’s resignation is not something that I wish for. It is upsetting when a legislature ends with someone’s resignation, but when such resignation is inevitable and necessary in order to reinstate the credibility of the institutions, let those responsible step forward by taking a step back.
My feelings are those of the Italia dei Valori party, a political organisation with a head on its shoulders, which does not do anything rash, not partake in theatrics, which highlighted a problem some time ago, not because the timing was auspicious, and we have no intention of using those legal proceedings to refer back to our requests, also because, on a personal level, it is extremely difficult if not totally impossible to believe that Bassolino would get involved in form of illicit behaviour for personal gain. On a personal level, I have no hesitation whatsoever in defending his honour.
The problem is a political one, and we highlighted it at an inauspicious time, without any hidden agenda, firstly by not taking our place in the Bassolino junta, and then by demanding his resignation when the waste disposal affair hit the headlines, long before the legal action began.
At the time, as we do now, we attempted to convince Bassolino to accept his responsibilities, so as to avoid becoming embroiled with the centre-right and thereby being accused of treason and conspiring with the centre-right, also because we do not agree entirely with the fact of bringing in this centre-right regional government to replace Bassolino, precisely because, in terms of waste disposal, the rot always seems to begin precisely, and above all with the centre-right and we have no mad desire to jump out of the frying pan and into the fire.
That is why we have said, on the one hand, that it would be better for him to resign and, on the other hand, that we have no intention of taking part in his junta, because we do not believe that this junta will be able to resolve the problems, and we refuse to accept being labelled as turncoats, because we like the other side even less.
We are convinced that through this act of political and institutional persuasion, and in the hope of an imminent victory, which we believe to be within our grasp, we will be able to convince the Governor to resign. Clearly, should he fail to do so, having used the excuse of the waste disposal emergency to justify his failure to resign, desperate times require desperate measures.

Posted by Antonio Di Pietro in Politics