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Radicova: Question About MPs' Immunity Reduction Crucial In Referendum
Saturday 18 September 2010 Zoom in | Print page
Nova Dedinka, September 18 (TASR) - Slovak Prime Minister Iveta Radicova took part in the referendum in Nova Dedinka (Bratislava region) on Saturday.
Radicova considers the seventh plebiscite in Slovakia's history to be important, even though she thinks that there won't be enough people (more than half of registered voters) participating in order for the referendum to be valid.
In the referendum, people can voice their opinion on cancelling licence fees for the public media, removing MPs' immunity, reducing the number of MPs from 150 to 100, setting limits on the cost of Government limousines, online voting, and changes to the Press Act that would exempt public officials from the right to reply guaranteed by law.
Radicova sees the question concerning the removal of MPs' immunity as crucial. "We need the support of the citizens on this one, because what I'm finding out is that the opposition MPs have grave problems with reduction of the immunity. Since the MPs are hesitating, the people can recommend them what to do. Direct participation of citizens in a referendum represents a binding decision for the MPs. Since I was submitting the MPs' immunity-curbing bill to the Slovak Parliament, it is only natural that my participation in the plebiscite is binding," stated Radicova.
Prime Minister sees the announced non-attendance of several politicians at the referendum as a free decision of every citizen. "Citizens, as well as politicians, have a right to make a free decision whether the plebiscite is important to them or not. We rely on the fact that the political representatives will make the right decision, even if the recent discussion concerning the immunity reduction has shown that relying on this fact is not appropriate right now," she added.
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