Parliament must now learn the lessons of this dark night, the president of the House of Representatives said, adding it will now be working on a draft law to support the victims of the fire.
Keystone / Alessandro Della Valle
On the first day of the spring parliamentary session, the House of Representatives held a minute’s silence in memory of the victims of the New Year’s fire in Crans-Montana. It is parliament’s duty to “never forget” the disaster, said the president of the House, Pierre-André Page.
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Two months after one of the worst disasters in modern Swiss history, the fire that claimed dozens of lives and injured over 100 people is a haunting experience that has left its mark on people’s hearts, said Page, a member of the right-wing Swiss People’s Party, on Monday.
“That night, a bar in Crans-Montana went up in flames and took 40 young people full of hope for the future with it,” Page said. “Another young man, who was seriously injured, died recently. The survivors are still fighting every day to rebuild what the fire destroyed.”
The young people had gathered “to celebrate the future, to laugh together and to share their dreams,” the parliamentarian added. “In an instant, the joy turned into a nightmare. Lives were destroyed, families torn apart, friends lost in misunderstanding and pain.”
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In his speech, Page also thanked all those who provided assistance in Switzerland and abroad, and “committed themselves with courage and determination”. Their commitment and humanity will be remembered, he said.
“I would also like to express my sincere gratitude on your behalf to all the countries that have reached out to us and taken us in,” said Page, addressing representatives sitting in the gallery.
Justice must run its course
Parliament must now learn the lessons of this dark night, he said. The House will now be working on a draft law to support the victims of the fire, he announced.
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The judiciary must also “establish responsibility in complete independence”, he said. This is “an indispensable prerequisite for the contract of trust that binds our institutions to the society they serve. Without truth, there can be no lasting trust”.
The parliamentarians then paid tribute to the victims, their families and loved ones in a moment of silence. The Senate had also planned to commemorate the victims of the fire once the session got underway on Monday afternoon.
Translated from German with AI/gw
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