A ban on campaigning in public spaces notified by the welfare department also to private entities. It is the last chapter of the clash that is accompanying the race to vote for the Bari administrative elections scheduled for next 8 and 9 June. Among others, some associations that are part of Welfare a Levante, an organization headed by the manager of the social and health structures, also received the notification Antonio Perruggini and which brings together over 130 residential, day and home facilities in Puglia. It could have simply been a mistake, if it weren’t for the fact that Perruggini is candidate for the Bari city council in the ranks of Forza Italia.
The letter to the prefect: «Freedom of thought violated»
In the document sent by the Municipality via the certified “Pec Disabili” email address, express reference is made to the rule which provides for the ban on all public administrations from carrying out propaganda activities. And again, in the certified e-mail we read: «Even the managers who provide services in the welfare area of the Municipality of Bari are required to respect the ban on electoral campaigning and to abstain, in the exercise of their functions, from any electoral propaganda or political communication”. Welfare’s response to Levante arrived quickly. Except that in addition to the department, Perruggini has also decided to direct it to prefect. «It is believed that this provision clearly violates freedom of thought of the person universally recognized in democracies and which is also totally extraneous to the literal connection of the laws themselves referred to which are addressed to “public administrations” and certainly not to private legal entities who obviously cannot suffer deprivations of freedom of thought and political orientation in our country as well as public ones except in specific and limited cases” we read.
The document is then addressed to the division offices headed by the councillor Francesca Bottalico (candidate with Bari Bene Comune in support of Michele Laforgia) explains: «I kindly invite you to revoke or better specify what you believe you support the Addressed Distribution by associating with this the kind request to inform the undersigned trade association regarding the possible same formal provision sent for the past local elections in 2019″.
Forza Italia candidate: «I’m shocked»
The blue candidate then added: “I am shocked by the initiative of the welfare department.” The manager then clarifies: «The decision to run was taken after a discussion with the assembly that met for the budget, I had the unanimous support of all the members of the body». Perruggini concludes: «I am happy because as a candidate for the next administrative elections and being very busy certainly not now but for many years in protecting the elderly, disabled and facility managers, I see this illegitimate initiative of the department as a clear weakness which highlights the danger for them of being defeated at the polls». Meanwhile, the Municipality has announced that clarifications will only arrive tomorrow, when the offices reopen.
