Zug parliament meets for first time since massacre

For the first time since the massacre the cantonal parliament of Zug convened on Wednesday Keystone

The Zug regional government on Wednesday met for the first time since the September 27 massacre, which left 14 politicians dead. The constituent assembly convened to redistribute some of the seats formerly held by the victims.

During the meeting the government set November 29 as the date for the regional parliament’s next assembly. The November and December sessions will take place in the cantonal police building.

In December the government will decide where to hold future parliamentary meetings. It is also expected to analyse the advantages or disadvantages of refurbishing the existing parliament building or constructing a new building elsewhere.

The parliament decided that the four surviving members would keep their positions and that the three ministers killed in the attack would be replaced.

Hans-Beat Uttinger will head the department of construction, Joachim Eder takes over public health and Brigitte Profos-Meier will be in charge of the interior. The three ministers will replace Peter Bossard, Jean-Paul Flachsmann and Monika Hutter, who died in the shooting.

On September 27, a man identified as Friedrich Leibacher opened fire during a session of the regional assembly, killing 14 people before turning the gun on himself.

Celebrations cancelled

The government asked to cancel celebrations for the 650th anniversary of joining the confederation, which were scheduled for next year.

Instead the canton wants to quietly commemorate the occasion with other cantons, the federal government and the people.

The cantonal president, Hanspeter Uster, suggests that every minister should at least take one week of leave and spend it with their spouses far away from the parliamentary work.

“We can only take our responsibilities as long as we are rested – mentally, physically and psychologically,” he said.

swissinfo with agencies