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Sulik: President Doing Smer's Bidding vis-a-vis Referendum 2009
Friday 12 February 2010 Zoom in | Print page
Bratislava, February 12 (TASR) - President Ivan Gasparovic has written in reply to a letter drawn up by the Freedom and Solidarity (SaS) party, in which SaS asked whether the president is planning to have questions included in its 'Referendum 2009' initiative assessed by the country's Constitutional Court, that he will comment on the issue only after all the signature sheets are delivered to him, SaS chairman Richard Sulik said on Friday.
Sulik, head of the petition committee for Referendum 2009, announced on January 25 that the committee wants a referendum to be held along with the parliamentary or municipal elections (June and late 2010, respectively), and had sent Gasparovic a letter to that effect.
"This reply hasn't come as a surprise to us, because the president, back when he was parliamentary chairman (1994-98), often trod on the foundations of democracy of this country. I view this reaction as meaning that the president is abiding by orders coming from Smer-SD party headquarters," said Sulik.
"Far be it from me to exert influence on the president as to whether or not he'll turn to the Constitutional Court, that's his right; I just want to know whether he'll do so or not," added Sulik.
According to the SaS leader, Gasparovic has taken an evasive stance on the issue, and the party has concluded that he is indeed planning to challenge the planned referendum at the Constitutional Court.
"That's why we'll submit the referendum sheets only at the turn of May and June, so as to enable the referendum to take place with the municipal election (due in late 2010)," said Sulik.
A total of six questions are included in the planned referendum. These concern: abolishing television and radio concessionary fees, curbing MPs' immunity, reducing the number of MPs from 150 to 100, setting a maximum purchasing price for cars used by Government officials, helping to make voting in elections available via the internet, and removing the right to reply of public officials (as included in the current Press Act of 2008).
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