A political hopeful bizarrely cut his arm in public to swear “with blood” that he’d fulfil his campaign promises.
Footage shows aspiring councillor Michele Calvani speaking on a portable stage at a rally on Wednesday (5 Jun).
He speaks to the assembled crowd in a square in Pescara, Italy, with one of his shirt sleeves rolled up.
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He baffles those present by producing a blade and cutting his arm as if to make a “blood pact” with his voters.
He draws blood as he declares: “I swear to all of you that until the last moment of my life.
“ I will work tirelessly to fulfil the promises I made to you, and I will never lie.”
The surreal scenes prompted his superiors in the Pescara Futura party to ask him to pull out of the race.
Calvani complied with their request, as reported on Need To Know.
The now-former candidate told local media on Thursday (6 Jun): “I decided to run because I strongly believe in (outgoing mayor) Carlo Masci’s political actions and the centre-right coalition.
“But also because I’ve noticed, over the years, a widespread and progressive disengagement from politics among citizens.
“That’s why I wanted to make my promises to voters strong and credible in every possible way. I wanted to ensure my utmost commitment to them.
“So, I explored every form of communication, even resorting to yesterday’s emblematic gesture.
“Only after doing it did I realise it might have stirred dissent among the electorate.
“That’s why I’ve chosen to withdraw my candidacy from this race, as requested by the leaders of my party.”
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