Pacitalia
05-12-2008, 01:17
From PNN.pc
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Members of the Constazione Ampoliticato and Senatoro
passed a bill legalising ethical euthanasia, or "death with dignity",
subject to firm provisions. Another bill on abolishing the death
penalty fell short after it was blocked by the Christian-democrat
faction of the PSC and the entire Nationalist Conservative caucus in
Pacitalia's lower parliamentary house. It will now be up to the public
to decide the fate of the bill in a referendum.
Ethical euthanasia now legal; death penalty to plebiscite
Act allows terminally ill Pacitalians to end their lives "with dignity" under medical supervision
Jordi Finasse i Puyanol, Timiocato
Representatives in Pacitalia's lower and upper parliamentary houses passed a bill legalising ethical euthanasia in Pacitalia, clearing the way for the terminally ill to end their lives. The bill, however, does contain several provisions to prevent abuse of the law.
Under the terms of the Ethical Euthanasia Act, 2008 (1758 D91 R146.17 12/2008), the patient requesting what the act calls "ethical termination" must be 20 years of age or older and a Pacitalian citizen. He or she must make a formal request, witnessed by two others, one not related by blood to the individual, and one not employed by any health-care provider of facility, for the lethal dosage of medication.
The patient must be "mentally competent and self-reliant" as judged by two psychiatric experts and one physician in separate evaluations. The patient in question must have also been given fewer than six months to live by two separate physicians; such an appraisal must be in written form. Also, the patient must also be informed of other treatment options in place of physician-assisted suicide.
Under the law, patients will be encouraged to discuss their options with family members and friends before going ahead with any participation in the program. And, at any time, they may change their mind and cancel their request.
The bill passed the Constazione Ampoliticato with 871 supporting votes, or 79.25 percent. There were 166 MPPs opposed to the bill and 62 abstained from voting. All 1,099 MPPs were present to vote.
Pacitalia's Agustinate of Public Health and Wellness, Persefona Domasche, the bill's lead sponsor, hailed the decision as "progressive and important" for Pacitalia.
"We have taken a very big step forward here today," Ms Domasche said outside the Constazione chamber, following Thursday's vote. "Pacitalia continues to demonstrate its commitment to social rights and progressive lawmaking and we are very proud of this new law."
But the National Conservative caucus were livid about the law, saying it "flew in the face of five hundred years of Pacitalian social conservative traditions."
"This act makes a mockery not only of parliamentary discourse but of a properly managed, accountable health system," a visibly upset Alberto Fascecarno, the Nationalist Conservative health critic, told PNN. "We just sent a message to the world that we are the jesters of the international community."
NC leader Marco Quirinamo did not verbally agree with his health critic's comments but merely said he was "disturbed" by the bill's passage.
The bill's secondary sponsor, Agustinate of Human and Social Development Rodica Serbanescu, concurred with Ms Domasche and slammed the NC health critic for his comments.
"Allowing people to pass on with dignity is a very crucial thing for a modern society," Ms Serbanescu noted. "Contrary to the opinion of some Nationalist Conservative MPPs, Pacitalia is not socially conservative. We simply should not be prolonging pain and suffering under the proper circumstances."
It should be up to the individual to make the right decision, she said.
The Senatoro then held two readings of the bill Thursday afternoon and passed it by a margin of 73—21, with two abstentions.
Death penalty bill going to plebiscite
However, the day turned out not to be a complete write-off for the Nationalist Conservatives. They succeeded in rallying the dominant Christian-democrat and socially moderate faction of the Pacitalian Social Coalition, including deputy opposition leader Diego Zuna, to stop the passage of a second bill intending to abolish the death penalty.
All 66 Nationalist Conservatives and 154 of 259 PSC MPPs abruptly stood and exited the chamber as the speaker of the house called MPPs to attention to vote on the bill. The departing MPPs were then immediately followed by the entire Green caucus — 104 representatives. That left only 775 MPPs in the Constazione: all 570 Progressive Democrat MPPs, 105 PSC representatives, all 49 Margherian Freedom and Solidarity MPPs, 42 Egalitarians and nine independents.
Mario Tengefera, a back-bench FPD representative and the bill's lead sponsor, attempted to call the question and vote on the bill but the vote on simply calling the question failed.
Pacitalian prime minister Archetenia Nera then introduced a prerogative motion to prorogue the vote on the death penalty bill until after a pair of amending sessions had taken place but it also failed. Following parliamentary process, the speaker of the house, Berna Yildiz Suleyman, then called a referendum confirmation vote, which passed 668—107 with no abstentions.
The bill must go to referendum because the bill did not meet the concordance convention, whereby the two largest opposition parties agree to participate in the floor voting on a bill. The leaders of the PSC and Greens both left the chamber without verbally assenting to participate, and both left with a majority of their members. In addition, more than fifteen percent of MPPs abstained from voting; therefore, the bill must now go to public plebiscite.
A subsequent vote confirmed the referendum for Monday, 12th January 2009. Pacitalian voters, not the parliament, will then decide on whether or not to abolish the death penalty.
Green leader Neros Constantakis said "the Greens exiting the chamber does not signal we support the death penalty in any way, shape or form. We would just appreciate more debate and a strengthening of the bill's language so all or most parties can get on board with the bill and pass it."
PSC leader Fernando Chiovitti agreed, calling the bill a "rush job".
"We left because we weren't comfortable with the openness of the wording in [the bill]," he said. "A bill on abolishing the death penalty should have explicit terms."
But he signalled the PSC supports the general idea of the bill and that the departure of the Christian democrat faction of his party from the chamber did not "put [his] party in league" with the Nationalist Conservatives.
"We are abolitionist by nature," Mr Zuna, himself a Zoroastrian, said Thursday evening. "There has been some very substantial debate about the humanistic principles of the death penalty and that is not reflected or recognised in the bill."
PNN asked the deputy opposition leader whether he was sending Pacitalians the right message being seen leaving the chamber during a vote on the death penalty. Zuna is a well-known human rights advocate and was director of African operations for Amnesty International before returning to Pacitalia to enter politics.
"I would have stayed and voted against the bill if I was retentionist," Mr Zuna noted.
Capital punishment experts say there may be several options on the table at the referendum.
"There are at least three possible ways Pacitalians could vote in this referendum", Dr Floriana Puig, an assistant professor of judicial law and capital punishment rights theory at the University of Central Antigonia, said Thursday. "Of course, there will be the option to abolish the death penalty outright and there will be the option to retain the death penalty as it is. But it is likely, in order to appease certain moderates that do generally approve of the principle of capital execution, that there will be a third option asking Pacitalians whether they might endorse looking for more humane ways to deal with the most serious of offenders, such as changing the way we do execute convicts."
The current legislation on the death penalty, the Capital Executions Act, 1954 / rv. 1991, 2002 (1135 B18 A301 3/1954), permits execution as a sentence for capital crimes. After the 1991 and 2002 amendments removed the electric chair and the pull chamber as execution methods, Pacitalia now executes convicts sentenced to death by a single method — lethal injection.
______________________________________________________
Notable milestones in a progressive, secular Pacitalia
Abortions legalised: 1978
Age of consent lowered to 15: 1986
National funding to religious schools ceased: 1993
Same-sex marriage legalised: 2002
Ethical euthanasia (death with dignity) legalised: 2008
Death penalty abolished: 2009?
Last updated 1850 AOTC+3, 4th December
http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d197/Pacitalia/plenar_gr.jpg
Members of the Constazione Ampoliticato and Senatoro
passed a bill legalising ethical euthanasia, or "death with dignity",
subject to firm provisions. Another bill on abolishing the death
penalty fell short after it was blocked by the Christian-democrat
faction of the PSC and the entire Nationalist Conservative caucus in
Pacitalia's lower parliamentary house. It will now be up to the public
to decide the fate of the bill in a referendum.
Ethical euthanasia now legal; death penalty to plebiscite
Act allows terminally ill Pacitalians to end their lives "with dignity" under medical supervision
Jordi Finasse i Puyanol, Timiocato
Representatives in Pacitalia's lower and upper parliamentary houses passed a bill legalising ethical euthanasia in Pacitalia, clearing the way for the terminally ill to end their lives. The bill, however, does contain several provisions to prevent abuse of the law.
Under the terms of the Ethical Euthanasia Act, 2008 (1758 D91 R146.17 12/2008), the patient requesting what the act calls "ethical termination" must be 20 years of age or older and a Pacitalian citizen. He or she must make a formal request, witnessed by two others, one not related by blood to the individual, and one not employed by any health-care provider of facility, for the lethal dosage of medication.
The patient must be "mentally competent and self-reliant" as judged by two psychiatric experts and one physician in separate evaluations. The patient in question must have also been given fewer than six months to live by two separate physicians; such an appraisal must be in written form. Also, the patient must also be informed of other treatment options in place of physician-assisted suicide.
Under the law, patients will be encouraged to discuss their options with family members and friends before going ahead with any participation in the program. And, at any time, they may change their mind and cancel their request.
The bill passed the Constazione Ampoliticato with 871 supporting votes, or 79.25 percent. There were 166 MPPs opposed to the bill and 62 abstained from voting. All 1,099 MPPs were present to vote.
Pacitalia's Agustinate of Public Health and Wellness, Persefona Domasche, the bill's lead sponsor, hailed the decision as "progressive and important" for Pacitalia.
"We have taken a very big step forward here today," Ms Domasche said outside the Constazione chamber, following Thursday's vote. "Pacitalia continues to demonstrate its commitment to social rights and progressive lawmaking and we are very proud of this new law."
But the National Conservative caucus were livid about the law, saying it "flew in the face of five hundred years of Pacitalian social conservative traditions."
"This act makes a mockery not only of parliamentary discourse but of a properly managed, accountable health system," a visibly upset Alberto Fascecarno, the Nationalist Conservative health critic, told PNN. "We just sent a message to the world that we are the jesters of the international community."
NC leader Marco Quirinamo did not verbally agree with his health critic's comments but merely said he was "disturbed" by the bill's passage.
The bill's secondary sponsor, Agustinate of Human and Social Development Rodica Serbanescu, concurred with Ms Domasche and slammed the NC health critic for his comments.
"Allowing people to pass on with dignity is a very crucial thing for a modern society," Ms Serbanescu noted. "Contrary to the opinion of some Nationalist Conservative MPPs, Pacitalia is not socially conservative. We simply should not be prolonging pain and suffering under the proper circumstances."
It should be up to the individual to make the right decision, she said.
The Senatoro then held two readings of the bill Thursday afternoon and passed it by a margin of 73—21, with two abstentions.
Death penalty bill going to plebiscite
However, the day turned out not to be a complete write-off for the Nationalist Conservatives. They succeeded in rallying the dominant Christian-democrat and socially moderate faction of the Pacitalian Social Coalition, including deputy opposition leader Diego Zuna, to stop the passage of a second bill intending to abolish the death penalty.
All 66 Nationalist Conservatives and 154 of 259 PSC MPPs abruptly stood and exited the chamber as the speaker of the house called MPPs to attention to vote on the bill. The departing MPPs were then immediately followed by the entire Green caucus — 104 representatives. That left only 775 MPPs in the Constazione: all 570 Progressive Democrat MPPs, 105 PSC representatives, all 49 Margherian Freedom and Solidarity MPPs, 42 Egalitarians and nine independents.
Mario Tengefera, a back-bench FPD representative and the bill's lead sponsor, attempted to call the question and vote on the bill but the vote on simply calling the question failed.
Pacitalian prime minister Archetenia Nera then introduced a prerogative motion to prorogue the vote on the death penalty bill until after a pair of amending sessions had taken place but it also failed. Following parliamentary process, the speaker of the house, Berna Yildiz Suleyman, then called a referendum confirmation vote, which passed 668—107 with no abstentions.
The bill must go to referendum because the bill did not meet the concordance convention, whereby the two largest opposition parties agree to participate in the floor voting on a bill. The leaders of the PSC and Greens both left the chamber without verbally assenting to participate, and both left with a majority of their members. In addition, more than fifteen percent of MPPs abstained from voting; therefore, the bill must now go to public plebiscite.
A subsequent vote confirmed the referendum for Monday, 12th January 2009. Pacitalian voters, not the parliament, will then decide on whether or not to abolish the death penalty.
Green leader Neros Constantakis said "the Greens exiting the chamber does not signal we support the death penalty in any way, shape or form. We would just appreciate more debate and a strengthening of the bill's language so all or most parties can get on board with the bill and pass it."
PSC leader Fernando Chiovitti agreed, calling the bill a "rush job".
"We left because we weren't comfortable with the openness of the wording in [the bill]," he said. "A bill on abolishing the death penalty should have explicit terms."
But he signalled the PSC supports the general idea of the bill and that the departure of the Christian democrat faction of his party from the chamber did not "put [his] party in league" with the Nationalist Conservatives.
"We are abolitionist by nature," Mr Zuna, himself a Zoroastrian, said Thursday evening. "There has been some very substantial debate about the humanistic principles of the death penalty and that is not reflected or recognised in the bill."
PNN asked the deputy opposition leader whether he was sending Pacitalians the right message being seen leaving the chamber during a vote on the death penalty. Zuna is a well-known human rights advocate and was director of African operations for Amnesty International before returning to Pacitalia to enter politics.
"I would have stayed and voted against the bill if I was retentionist," Mr Zuna noted.
Capital punishment experts say there may be several options on the table at the referendum.
"There are at least three possible ways Pacitalians could vote in this referendum", Dr Floriana Puig, an assistant professor of judicial law and capital punishment rights theory at the University of Central Antigonia, said Thursday. "Of course, there will be the option to abolish the death penalty outright and there will be the option to retain the death penalty as it is. But it is likely, in order to appease certain moderates that do generally approve of the principle of capital execution, that there will be a third option asking Pacitalians whether they might endorse looking for more humane ways to deal with the most serious of offenders, such as changing the way we do execute convicts."
The current legislation on the death penalty, the Capital Executions Act, 1954 / rv. 1991, 2002 (1135 B18 A301 3/1954), permits execution as a sentence for capital crimes. After the 1991 and 2002 amendments removed the electric chair and the pull chamber as execution methods, Pacitalia now executes convicts sentenced to death by a single method — lethal injection.
______________________________________________________
Notable milestones in a progressive, secular Pacitalia
Abortions legalised: 1978
Age of consent lowered to 15: 1986
National funding to religious schools ceased: 1993
Same-sex marriage legalised: 2002
Ethical euthanasia (death with dignity) legalised: 2008
Death penalty abolished: 2009?
Last updated 1850 AOTC+3, 4th December