BRATISLAVA, September 18, (WEBNOVINY)- Richard Sulik, the Speaker of Parliament and the chairman of the SaS party, which initiated the ongoing referendum on six issues of public concern called on Slovaks to quickly get up from the cooker, take the wife and go to vote in the referendum. He says that it is just ten minutes and he believes that people might have a quite good feeling after doing so. There are still a few hours left and he hopes that people will use the opportunity that the Constitution gives them and will say their „yes“ or „no.“
Sulik thinks that the referendum had influenced the lawmakers already before it took place. He underscored that four of six referendum questions have made it to the government program statement. He said that for instance the discussion on whether TV and radio license fees paid to public service media are to be scrapped or not will no longer be necessary. It is clear now that they are to be canceled and the referendum contributed to it.
Sulik is a little bit surprised that some cabinet members are not going to vote in the referendum. He thought they have more ardent relationship to democracy but now he has the reason to believe that they probably proclaim it only verbally. However, he regrets most that the strongest political party, the opposition SMER-SD discouraged its voters from turning up for the referendum on Saturday. Sulik said that from the moment when the president announced the referendum it is no longer a party matter but the issue concerning all citizens. The prevailing majority of SMER voters do not want that lawmakers enjoy immunity and do not want to pay concessionaire fees, he underscored. Sulik said that he is strongly disappointed as he had thought that SMER is able to rise above party fighting when it comes to matters of nation-wide importance.
SITA
