BRATISLAVA, September 18, (WEBNOVINY) – Polling stations all over Slovakia have opened at 7 a.m., on Saturday, September 18 for voters who are to decide a referendum on the six issues of public concern. Results of the voting in historically the seventh referendum in Slovakia should be known a few hours after polling stations close. The Statistics Office assumes it would release unofficial results about an hour after midnight Sunday.
In the referendum, Slovakia’s citizens are asked to answer questions on cancellation of concessionaire fees paid to public service media, restriction of deputy immunity from prosecution, introduction of a cap on government limousines of EUR 40,000, introduction of on-line voting, a change to the Election Act to downsize the number of members of parliament from 150 to 100 from the next election term and adoption of a law to exclude persons exercising executive power in the government from the right of reply according to the Press Act.
The referendum was initiated by the Freedom and Solidarity Party (SaS) that collected about 400,000 signatures for their petition during the election campaign ahead of parliamentary elections. The SaS, which succeeded in the elections and became a member of the ruling coalition, has managed to get four points from the referendum into the program statement of the new center-right governing coalition.
In order to be valid, more than half of all eligible voters would have to vote. Under the Constitution, results of a referendum are valid „if a majority of eligible voters participated, and if the decision was taken by absolute majority of votes in the referendum.”
Like most of the previous referendums, the ongoing referendum is not expected to be valid because of low voter turnout. Of the six referendums held since the establishment of an independent Slovakia in 1993, four have failed – in 1994, 1998, 2000 and 2004. The 1997 referendum was thwarted by authorities. So far, only one referendum, in May 2003, on the accession to the EU was valid. Turnout then was 52.15 percent of eligible voters.
SITA
