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Government Officials Find Looming Referendum a Waste of Money
Wednesday 14 July 2010 Zoom in | Print page
Bratislava, July 14 (TASR) - The objections to the upcoming ruling coalition partner Freedom and Solidarity (SaS)-initiated referendum (September 18) start at the very top of government, it was revealed on Wednesday.
Speaking after one of the first government policy meetings, Prime Minister Iveta Radicova (SDKU-DS) described the referendum as "useless" and a waste of public money amid the current financial crunch. The €7.2-million referendum has, however, been declared by President Ivan Gasparovic and cannot be reversed.
She was backed up by Justice Minister Daniel Lipsic (Christian Democrats/KDH), who echoed her remarks. "People don't need politicians to teach them about referenda topics. They are clever enough to make their own judgements," he said. In addition, some of the six questions are featured in the soon-to-be released Cabinet's manifesto, he said, citing the cancellation of television and radio license fees or curbing lawmaker's immunity.
"We respect the opinion of our coalition partners but do not intend to cast away the confidence of 400,000 (signatories to petition sheets) to decide in the most democratic fashion on handling important issues," said SaS chairman Richard Sulik in response to the above objections.
The remaining four questions regard downsizing the number of MPs from 150 to 100, setting the maximum purchasing price for cars used by Government officials, and helping to make voting in elections available via the internet. The sixth question concerns removing the right to reply from public officials (as included in the current Press Act of 2008).
In Slovakia, for a referendum and a decision to be valid, it requires a turnout and support by more than half of eligible voters – more than 4 million people. Meeting these conditions would be the country's first-ever successful referendum initiated by a public petition. Four previous ones failed and another was thwarted. Only the referendum on Slovakia's joining the European Union, which was initiated by politicians was successful.
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