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Accueil arrow newsitems arrow Big Alsacian Majority votes Referendum, but technicality blocks. Strasbourg 70% eve of Election 2014

Big Alsacian Majority votes Referendum, but technicality blocks. Strasbourg 70% eve of Election 2014

Ecrit par ACM
Sunday, 07 April 2013
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*Strasbourg/- A big Majority of Alsacian People voted in favor of the Popular Referendum for the reUnification of Alsace at a level as high as 57,8 % against 42,2%, with  more than +67.600 votes' Advance for the "Yes", vis a vis the "No" : More than 255.400 for, against some 187.800 only.   

20130408_034310_400 

(Comp. : http://www.eurofora.net/newsflashes/news/alsacereferendumcavada.html )    
Nevertheless, Bureaucratic conditions didn't allow for that big Majority of Alsacian People to freely decide the Future of their region, allowing a Minority to technically block the process by seizing a tiny majority only at one area : Upper Rhine, (the smallest out of 2 Departments which compose, taken all together, the Alsace Region), where the "No" got 55,4% against 44,3%, even if in the Biggest Department, that of Lower Rhine, where Strasbourg is located, the "Yes" marked a Record High of .. more than 67,5% of Votes, (against only 32,4% for the "No")...

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But the Organizers of the Popular Referendum     succeeded to bypass another Condition : on the rate of Popular Participation, reaching something well beyond 34%, despite of the rather Institutional content of the issues at stake, and even if the opposed "Socialist" Municipality of Strasbourg (whose Mayor Ries had reportedly declared that he'd "stay Home", and closed the City Hall on the Vote Day, contrary to the tradition..) invested heavily in various Deviations these Days, including a 2-Day International Conference on Europe, and even Mass Sports for Heart's Health, etc... I.e. almost a Similar Participation to that of EU Parliament's Elections back to 2004 : 38%, and not far away from that of 1999 : 42%, not even from the latest June 2012 French National Parliamentary Elections : 49%...

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 - "We thank the Alsacian People, who, despite the appeals to stay home, and the campaigns of slandering, dared move to vote in favor of the Referendum for Alsace with a very Large Majority", declared from the outset the President of Alsace Region, Philippe Richet. "Nevertheless, the (legal) process stops here, because inside  the (smaller among the 2 Departments which compose Alsace region) Upper Rhine, a slim majority voted against. We respect that, as everybody must respect the clearly expressed will of the overall Majority throughout the entire Alsace region", he soberly added, without explaining yet in concrete detail what exactly he meant by that for the Future, (particularly on the Political aspects of the event, and their consequences).

philippe_richert_400

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+ 71% in Strasbourg !!!
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* But perhaps the most important Political Revelation in this April 2013 Popular Referendum for Alsace was the Astonishing Fact that it succeeded, well beyond all expectations, to win with ...more than + 70% for the "Yes" Vote, against only 29% for the "No", throughout all the City of Strasbourg, (the Biggest in Alsace, and Headquarters of its Region, as well as of European Institutions such as the COE, EU Parliament's Plenary Sessions, ECHR, EU Ombudsman, Schengen System, EuroCorps, International Space University, etc).

Coming just 1 Year before the crucial 2014 Municipal Elections in France, such a Huge Distance taken by 71% of the People vis a vis its Governing "Socialist" Team, (the local "Socialist" Party having made a heavy Publicity against the Referendum, clearly calling to vote "No", despite a few ambiguities by some Individual politicians apparently scared by the Polls...), obviously reveals a "cinglant Desaveu" by Strasbourg's Citizens vis a vis their "Socialist" Municipality as it stands.

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+ >>> Moreover, by succeeding to Win 58 %- 42 % throughout Alsace region, ad with such a large Margin as + 67% in the Biggest, "Lower Rhine" Department, even  more than + 70% in Strasbourg, mainly on the sole Political basis of an unprecedented  Center-Right ChristianDemocrat and "Greens"' objective Alliance, for the 1st time in History, (See "EuroFora"s relevant previous NewsReport, dated April 5 : http://www.eurofora.net/newsflashes/news/alsacereferendumcavada.html ), i.e. even without Any Vote from the Rightists of the "National Front" (FN : particularly Strong in Alsace), the UMP and Centrist Parties proved, well beyond any expectation, that they have all their Chances to Win Strasbourg Mayorship at the forthcoming Municipal Elections, next year (2014), while, on the Contrary, the local "Socialist" Party revealled that it's dangerously Disconnected from the People....    

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+ In addition, the results at the 3rd City of the region : Colmar, where the experienced ChristianDemocrat/EPP Mayor Gilbert Meyer (UMP : same party as Richert) had reportedly expressed some concerns, as well as in the "Upper Rhine" department in general, apparently indicate that even People who voted "No" now, weren't, in fact, against the main idea of Simplification and RerUnification of Alsace, but only worried about an eventual risk to downgrade the role of their area inside the overall Regional structure. In other words, even them might be willing to vote in favor of Alsace's reunification if they had been better ensured to keep playing a notable role.
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Meanwhile, as things stand today, it all seems as if it was an unsatisfactory (and probably illegitimate)  : - "Democracy v. Legalistic technicalities" !

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 But History teaches that the Political message given by a crystal-clear Majority of  People (as now among Alsacians) always finds a concrete manner to satisfy Citizens' will, sooner or later, in one way or another,... particularly ifit concerns some among the various other topical and more "substantial" socio-political issues...

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And, at any case, it certainly cannot be ignored.-
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 politkovskaya_gongadze_adali_400

Hu Jia's prize brings SAKHAROV's wife to "EuroFora" on murders of Journalists Politkofskaya, Gongadze and Adali :

- Elena Bonner : "All Journalists' murders must be fully investigated", without Double Standards.                                                                                    

During a special Mega-Event to celebrate 20 Years of SAKHAROV Prize for "Freedom of Thought", attributed in 2008 by EU Parliament to jailed Chinese Cyber-Dissident Hu JIA, the move was reinforced by strongly criticizing the persisting impunity in three cases of Journalists' Murders, such as POLITKOVSKAYA in Russia, GONGADZE in Ukraine, and ADALI in Turkish-occupied part of Cyprus.

Any bureaucratic doubt about whether Cyber-dissidents like Hu JIA might have, or not, a right to be protected as all Journalists must be, particularly when they take risks to search, find and publish original and critical News on issues of general interest to the society, could not resist to the emotion provoked by the message of his Wife, Zeng JINYAN spectacularly transmitted at a big screen in EU Parliament's hemicycle :

- "The most important and most interesting thing he did was to ... say the Truth :.. to write about the phenomena he observed... He never stopped Publishing.. on websites, so that the Public could learn about the reality .. and understand it.  In my view, this has been his greatest contribution", stressed the young wife of the jailed man, eager to cite also the cases of other critical journalists who faced various kinds of "harassment".

 - "Welcoming all those who have suffered for defending Human Rights", EU Parliament's President, German MEP Hans Gert POETTERING, who had invited to Strasbourg all former Sakharov prize-winners from various Countries throughout the World, said that "China needs Europe, and Europe needs China : A great nation" with which "we want to have a good relationship", "association and ..friendship". "But we are never going to stop our fight for Human Rights, and No Government can expect this from us".

    - "It's impossible  to achieve goals of Peace, if Human Rights are left out. In fact, Peace and Human Rights are intrinsequaly linked", added POETTERING.

    It's in this spirit that MEPs adopted, on Thursday, a Resolution denouncing that "the criminal
investigation and trial following the murder of (a) Journalist ...raises serious concerns with regard to transparency and respect for the rule of law", when a "brutal killing has not yet been fully investigated and solved in a satisfactory way".

    The text refered to dissident Journalist "Anna POLITOVSKAYA", a critic of Tchechen conflict, killed some years ago in Moscow, where Russian Authorities have found, arrested and are currently judging two executants, while also searching to arrest also a 3rd one, allegedly escaped in Belgium. But they have not yet found the instigators.

     Similar texts were adopted recently also on dissident Ukranian Journalist Georgiy GONGADZE's murder, for which Ukranian Authorities have at least found, arrested and condemned 2 executants to 12 and 13 Years of jail, but not yet the instigators. For that purpose, they recently accepted an International Experts team to participate to the investigations.     

But, it's only for the Murder of dissident Turkish Cypriot Journalist ADALI, in the occupied territories of Cyprus, that Turkey has NOT yet found ANYONE responsible, and even claimed recently inside CoE that it would be "impossible" to do so !    

These astonishing differences exist despite the fact that ECHR condemned alike Ukraine and Turkey with 2 Judgements on the same year : 2005, for the murders of  Journalists GONGADZE and ADALI, strong critics of Corruption in Ukraine, and of Ankara's policies on mass-influx of Turkish Settlers in the Occupied Territories of Cyprus, respectively.    

Regarless of that, CoE's Committee of Ministers, who is entrusted with the duty to supervise execution of ECHR's judgements, has just asked Ukraine's Government to reply to further questions on Gongadze's murder before March 2009, while Turkey, curiously, got a longer postponement for answering questions on Adali's murder, until June...   

A comparison of these cases, raises serious questions about Double Standards :

------------------------

On TRANSPARENCY :
--------------------------
    On Gongadze's murder, CoE's body speaks even about the participation of
"an INTERNATIONAL group of Experts" in the Investigation, (f.ex. of "Tape Recordings"), accepted by Ukraine.
    On the contrary, on Adali's murder, CoE is obliged to repeatedly ask (for a 2nd
time) Turkey whether, at least, it informed the victims' Family, or not...
------------------------------
- On EFFICIENCY :
-----------------------
On Gongadze's murder, CoE formally "recalls that the Committee (of Ministers) ..URGED the Ukranian authorities.. to TAKE ALL NECESSARY INVESTIGATIVE STEPS TO ACHIEVE CONCRETE and VISIBLE RESULTS in the INVESTIGATION, aimed at the Identification of the INSTIGATORS and Organisers of the Murder", and "STRONGLY INVITED the Ukranian Authorities to provide information on the PROGRESS IN THE INVESTIGATION", before MARCH 2009.

But, on Adali's murder, on the contrary, CoE's body merely .. "took note" of the "arguments presented by" Cyprus, which denounce the absence of any proof of new "investigation" by Turkey. Following Turkey's own suggestion (!), it simply "noted" that there is "no limitation period" for "any new element" to "lead potentialy (sic !) to a Re-Opening of the Investigation". Without saying who might find any such "new" fact, since Turkey stoped searching... It also POSTPONED the issue until .. JUNE  !
-----------------------
 - On the PUNISHMENT OF THOSE RESPONSIBLE :
----------------------
 -  On Gongadze's murder case, Ukranian Authorities already arrested and condemned, at least 2 suspects, to 12 and 13 Years of jail. And on Politkovskaya's murder at least 2 suspects are judged, and a 3rd one "wanted".

On the contrary, on Adali's murder case, the Turkish authorities simply claim that "it had not been possible to obtain new .. information .. on the basis of which criminal charges could be brought against ANY person" !...

Moreover,  a LETTER sent by Turkey ...2 Years after CoE's 2006 call to re-investigate anew Adali's murder case, is totally EMPTY of Facts ! As Cypus' Delegation denounced earlier, Turkey's Letter ONLY CLAIMS that a "New Investigation" was made without any result, but does NOT even cite ANY FACT to prove it :

F.ex.,on the crucial issue of the "MOTIVATIONS" behind Adali's murder, noted by ECHR, Turkey MERELY CLAIMS that "all allegations  were investigated; without result", but OMITS ANY FACT TO PROVE IT !..(It doesn't even remind which were these "allegations").. .

+ On ECHR's astonishment that the Turkish Occupation regime didn't produce any "BALLISTIC REPORT" on the Shots which murdered Adali, Turkey again repeats, 12 years later, that, still, even until now, "it  was not possible to obtain the BalisticReport"...

- As for the astonishing absence of key-WITNESSES' Testimonies, denounced by ECHR, Turkey agains repeats various pretexts avoiding to reveal anything, (Fex. that a person "left" the Occupied Territories  "on 2002", or that another witness was heard, but without revealing nothing of what he said, etc).

Turkey obviously "FAILS TO MEET THE CRITICISM made BY THE COURT" for lack of any efficient Investigation in Adali's case, concluded Cyprus' Government.
---------------------------------------------
Replying to our Question which COMPARED these 3 outstanding cases of "JOURNALISTS MURDERS", Adali, Gongadze and Politkovskaya, in order to avoid "Double Standards" by asking from Ukraine and Russia more than what is asked EU candidate Turkey, many European personalities were critical /

They criticised Ankara's recent claim at the CoE to stop investigating, because it would be "impossible to find anyone" responsible for the 5 bullet shots which killed Kutlu ADALI in front of his Family Home, contrary to the other two Journalists' murders, where Ukraine and Russia at least arrested the executants, searching now for the instigators :
----------------------------------

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    - "Where was that ? In Turkish Occupied Cyprus ? WITHOUT ANY DOUBT : Any murder of Journalist should be investigated in full ! All these Murders must be investigated !", replied the famous SAKHAROV's wife, Elena BONNER to our question on Adali's case, compared to Gongadze and Politofskaya.

    Elena Bonner spoke us EXCLUSIVELY shortly after being honored by the President
of EU Parliament on the occasion of 20 Years of her husband's SAKHAROV Prize.

    A strong personality, Sakharov's wife even had to struggle against an anonymous EU staffer who, astonishingly, tried to stop her speaking when h heard our question on "Turkey" (!) : - "Please, let me translate, she continues
speaking, don't stop us !", had to cry Sakharov's daughter, (a Journalist
herself), who was translating her mothers' reply, (obliged to speak louder to
make her voice heard despite the harassment).. (= + Audio Proof !)

    Earlier, Elena Bonner also fustigated "Double Standards" at another case, on
Western countries' attitude vis a vis Kosovo and the Kurds : -F.ex. "You have
recognized a few 400.000 Kosovars as an "independent" country, but you still
deny that to 30 millions of Kurds in Turkey !", she denounced.
-----------------------------
    - "This (ADALI's murder) is an issue which should be pursued by the Committee
for Human Rights. That's why we have one, and it's its duty to examine cases of
Journalists' murders as the one you referred to. You should bring the case in
front of that Committee", suggested in reply to our question on Adali, EU
Parliament's President, German MEP Hans Gert POETTERING.

    - "It's impossible  to achieve goals of PEACE, if HUMAN RIGHTS are left out :
in fact, Peace and Human Rights are intrinsequaly linked", added POETTERING.
--------------------------------------
    + "For us (European/International Federation of Journalists) it's clear :
Whenever a Journalist is Murdered, the Investigation should continue until
those Responsible are found !", replied earlier to another question on ADALI
EFJ/IFJ's Secretary General, Aidan WHITE.

    Speaking as a matter of General Principle, White asked us for "concrete data"
on the execution of ECHR's judgement on Adali case, in order to "look at it in
depth" and "make a formal statement", in comparison with the other Murdered
Journalist case, also pending at CoE's  Ministers for completing its execution,
on Ukranian Gongadze.
----------------------------------------------------
     From EU Rapporteur on Human Rights, vice-President of EU Parliament Liberties' Committee, MEP Giusto CATANIA, we were told that, since there is an ECHR judgement in both Adali and Gongadge's cases, "Turkey must naturally execute the judgement and make a full and efficient investigation, until those responsible for the Journalist's murder are found and punished".

    Even if "we (Catania's "EuroLeft" Group) support Turkey's EU perspectives, this does not mean that Ankara should not behave properly. On the contrary, it means that they have to meet tough conditions, particularly on Human Rights", was added on the occasion of Adali's murder case.

    Moreover, "since you raise the issue of Mr. Adali's muder as a part of a Series of Journalist's murders, including fex. Gongadze, Politkovskaya, ao., tthen we (EU) could also act together with CoE's Commissioner on Human Rights, Thomas HAMMARBERG, it was suggested.

    - "We (EU) must step up efforts against the problem of IMPUNITY : Real Peace cannot exist without Justice",  stressed also this week at EU Parliament in Strasbourg, French Minister on Human Rights, Mrs Rama YADE.
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