Rome Democratic Party (PD) mayoral
candidate and Deputy House Speaker Roberto Giachetti said
Wednesday he will vote in an April 17 anti-offshore drilling
referendum.
Premier Matteo Renzi, who is also the PD chief, has said of
the referendum "I hope it fails" and said "abstaining (from the
vote) is sacrosanct and legitimate".
The referendum has been called by regions and
environmentalists concerned about the impact of the drills on
Italy's delicate marine ecosystem, on which the tourist and the
fishing sectors depend.
Giachetti was one of several mayoral candidates - including
Rome rival candidate Stefano Fassina (an ex PD man who joined
the splinter Italian Left party), independent Naples mayoral
candidate Luigi de Magistris, and all the candidates from the
anti-establishment 5-Star Movement (M5S) - who responded to a
call from the environmentalist Green Italia party.
"Giachetti's position is significant because it goes
against the line of his own party, which is boycotting the
referendum by urging voters to abstain," said Green Italia
members Roberto Della Seta and Francesco Ferrante.
"No matter which way he votes, we consider his decision to
participate... as an act of democratic responsibility and
foresight".
A 'yes' vote on the referendum is a vote against offshore
oil and gas drilling in Italy's seas.
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