Parlamentspräsident Glenn Richardson aus Georgia tritt zurück

(Direkt aus den USA berichtet Alfons Schoeps)

Der Parlamentspraesident von Georgia, Glenn Richardson (49), ist am 3. Dezember mit Wirkung vom 1. Januar 2010 von seinem Amt zurueckgetreten.

Mit diesem Paukenschlag begann am gestrigen Abend das "Winter Leadership Forum" der SLLF hier in Dallas, TX, an dem auch PdP-Praesident Clemens Reif teilnimmt.

Glenn Richardson, der als das grosse politische Talent der Republikaner im Bundesstaat Georgia angesehen wurde, zog damit die Konsequenzen aus einer ganzen Reihe von persoenlichen Rueckschlaegen, die ihren bisherigen Hoehepunkt in einem Selbstmordversuch Anfang November erreichten.

Nach diesem Selbstmordversuch war er bereits wieder in sein Amt in Atlanta zurueckgekehrt, und er sprach offen ueber seine bereits seit Jahren andauernden Depressionen, unter denen er sehr gelitten hat.

Ausloeser des Ruecktritts war aber offenbar ein TV-Auftritt seiner geschiedenen Frau, in dessen Verlauf sie ihm vorwarf, noch in den Zeiten ihrer Ehe eine Affaere mit einer Lobbyistin gehabt zu haben, und als Ergebnis dieses Verhaeltnisses war es gelungen, mit der Hilfe von Richardson eine 300-Millionen-Dollar schwere Baugenehmigung fuer ein Pipelineprojekt in Georgia im Parlament durchzubringen.

Lesen Sie nachstehend die offizielle Ruecktrittserklaerung von Richardson:

Effective January 1, 2010, I will resign my position as Speaker of the Georgia House of Representatives and as state Representative for the 19th District in Paulding County.

It has been an honor to serve the citizens of Paulding County as their Representative for 14 years and as Speaker of the Georgia House of Representatives for the last five years. During this time, I have appreciated working with the members of the House and the people of Georgia to keep state government efficient and ensure a low tax burden for our fellow Georgians.

As Speaker, I have been well served by the entire staff of the House of Representatives, especially the staff in the Speaker's Office. To each of them I offer my profound thanks for their tireless efforts. And to my many friends and supporters throughout the state, thank you for standing by me even in the most difficult times. My service would not have been possible without you.

I am confident that House Leadership will continue to lead the House and its members as they serve all Georgians to the best of their abilities.

I recently made public that I have suffered from depression for many years. I continue to seek treatment and have made progress in dealing with this disease. In making this public disclosure, it was my hope to raise awareness and encourage others who suffer from this disease to come forward and seek treatment. I fear that the media attention of this week has deflected this message and done harm to many people who suffer from this condition.

I am thankful for the opportunities my service afforded me to make Georgia's future brighter. Though I will no longer be serving in elected office, my commitment to see a better tomorrow for our state remains. As always, I am confident that Georgia's best days are still ahead."