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Paska Rejects Sulik's Accusations Concerning Referendum
Wednesday 03 February 2010 Zoom in | Print page
Bratislava, February 3 (TASR) - Parliamentary Chairman Pavol Paska (Smer-SD) strongly rejects statements made by chairman of the non-parliamentary Freedom and Solidarity (SaS) party Richard Sulik, who on Thursday accused Paska of putting his own party interests above those of the people by calling Sulik's initiative to call a referendum on topical issues a "political adventure" and an "attempt to attract attention".
Paska's spokesman Jozef Plsko told TASR on Wednesday that Paska has never expressed doubts over the petition law and the public's right to a referendum. "The question of referendums is subject to the Constitution and Slovak laws, and calling it is an exclusive power of the president," he said.
Paska suggests Sulik and his party should go into the general election on June 12 with its programme, with which it will be able to offer a response to the issues that Sulik now wants addressed in the referendum. "The election result will be a clear answer to the ideas presented by Mr. Sulik," commented Plsko.
SaS announced last week that late last year it managed to collect the 350,000 signatures needed to call its Referendum 2009 in Slovakia, and that it is set to submit it to President Ivan Gasparovic, under whose authority plebiscites fall.
In the referendum, SaS seeks support for such proposals as scrapping television and radio licence fees, curtailing MPs' immunity, and downsizing Parliament from 150 to 100 MPs, among others.
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