A “throw-away bottle” is a container with no content that cannot be taken back. A “throw-away vote” is a vote given to a candidate who cannot be elected. There are at least three would-be governors who cannot be elected: Vincenzo De Luca (PDminusL) for Campania, Roberto Formigoni (PDL) for Lombardy and Vasco Errani (PDminusL) for Emilia Romagna.
These gentlemen, who have always lived as politicians and off the taxes of the citizens, if elected will have to resign. The first because he has publicly promised that if he is found guilty after the elections, he will resign. De Luca should not even present himself as he has already been found guilty at the first level (but he hasn’t said this), without counting two ongoing trials for “association to commit crime”, extortion and fraud. If he is further found guilty then what? There’ll be new elections with the additional costs and the paralysis of the region? With another convict promoted by Bersani, D'Alema’s spokesperson?
Roberto Formigoni goes round on a bicycle followed by cars and journalists with a TV camera. He became an exhibition cyclist when he received notification of being the subject of preliminary investigations relating to the investigation on the environment and pollution. Formigoni is getting ready to celebrate the “VENTENNNIO FORMIGONIANO” {20 years of Formigoni} with 15 by 10 metre banners throughout the whole of Lombardy (who’s paying?). “Communion and Liberation” can do more than “il Duce” could. It’s simply that Formigoni can no longer present himself. The State law 165/2004 article 2 prevents anyone from putting himself forward as a candidate as President of the Region after two consecutive terms of office. He doesn’t care even though the emeritus president of the Constitutional Court, Valerio Onida confirms in an interview that he could be obliged to give up the position as a result of an appeal. The same is true for Vasco Errani, a regional councillor since 1995, President of the Region since 2000.
For De Luca the problem is in the merits and not in the substance, because there’s a good probability that he won’t be elected. The PDminusL has been governing Campania for15 years and the Casalesi are always “the others”. The PDminusL-folk have had more trials in Campania than the camorra. Formigoni and Errani, the bipartisan brothers of the eternal mandate, could however be re-elected with incalculable damage if they are forced to resign as a result of an appeal. So why put them forward as candidates? Was there no one else in circulation?
Politics is not a profession, an “andreottiana” mummification competition in the House. The spirit of the law is to prevent a governor from becoming an emperor of the Region, to control the tendering process, to favour his friends and the friends of his friends. To govern eternally, and 15-20 years for the government of a Region is getting near to the concept of political eternity. The blog will weigh up the appeal together with the damages to be paid in compensation to the Region. No citizen should put himself forward as a candidate for public office for more than two terms of office, even if they are not consecutive. The ones who have served numerous terms of office change over time from being “elected” to “our masters”. Don’t vote for “throw away” governors. They will never give up (but is it in their interests?). Neither will we.