-Caveat Lector- http://www.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,3604,915545,00.html European prince wins new powers
Andrew Osborn Monday March 17, 2003 The Guardian One of Europe's most bizarre and bitter electoral campaigns ended in victory yesterday for Prince Hans Adam II of Liechtenstein, after his subjects bowed to his will and voted to grant him sweeping powers over the tiny alpine kingdom. In a referendum which draws a line under a decade-long power struggle in the world's sixth-smallest country, a majority of voters ignored warnings that they were ushering in a dictatorship and agreed to give Prince Hans Adam II von und zu Liechtenstein, Duke of Trappau and Jägerndorf and Count of Rietburg, far-reaching new powers. The prince, whose family has ruled the wealthy micro-state at the heart of Europe for almost 300 years, had threatened to abandon his rambling medieval mountaintop castle and move to Austria unless the nation's 33,000 citizens gave him his way. Not that he was ever short of power. Even before yesterday, he was Europe's most powerful monarch, with the final say on laws and the right to call early elections. But that, he insisted, was not enough and he demanded that the constitution be amended to give him the power to dismiss governments, and control the appointment of judges. Yesterday he got his way. Final results showed that 64.3% of the electorate had acceded to his wishes while just 35.7% objected to his proposals - a figure far lower than expected. Nor could his opponents claim that poll was unrepresentative - at 87.7%, turnout among the 16,500 Liechtensteiners who were eligible to vote was extraordinarily high. "It's an excellent result. We can be very pleased with it," the prince told local Radio L. Not everyone was happy about yesterday's vote. "In the future, the prince could snap his fingers and say 'I've lost confidence in you' and in a split second the government would vanish," said Mario Frick, the country's prime minister. Sigvard Wohlwend of the opposition Secretariat for Democracy went even further: "We are about to abolish democracy in the centre of Europe. It is unimaginable." Guardian Unlimited © Guardian Newspapers Limited 2003 Forwarded for your information. The text and intent of the article have to stand on their own merits. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. section 107, this material is distributed without charge or profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving this type of information for non-profit research and educational purposes only. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Do not believe in anything simply because you have heard it. Do not believe simply because it has been handed down for many genera- tions. Do not believe in anything simply because it is spoken and rumoured by many. Do not believe in anything simply because it is written in Holy Scriptures. Do not believe in anything merely on the authority of teachers, elders or wise men. Believe only after careful observation and analysis, when you find that it agrees with reason and is conducive to the good and benefit of one and all. Then accept it and live up to it." The Buddha on Belief, from the Kalama Sutra <A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/";>www.ctrl.org</A> DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion & informational exchange list. Proselytizing propagandic screeds are unwelcomed. Substance—not soap-boxing—please! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory'—with its many half-truths, mis- directions and outright frauds—is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRLgives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. ======================================================================== Archives Available at: http://peach.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ctrl.html <A HREF="http://peach.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ctrl.html";>Archives of [EMAIL PROTECTED]</A> http://archive.jab.org/[EMAIL PROTECTED]/ <A HREF="http://archive.jab.org/[EMAIL PROTECTED]/">ctrl</A> ======================================================================== To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Om
