Slovak President Ivan Gašparovič has set the date for a referendum initiated by the SaS party. It will take place on Saturday, September 18. The referendum features questions on the cancellation of TV and radio licence fees, curbs to MPs’ immunity, a reduction in the number of MPs, a maximum price tag for government cars, internet voting and changes to the Press Code.
The referendum was triggered by a petition launched by SaS, which won seats in parliament for the first time in the June elections. Party leader Richard Sulík and his colleagues delivered the petition sheets to the Presidential Palace on June 9, three days before the elections. The sheets bore more than 400,000 signatures, of which 386,000 were judged valid, the President’s Office told the SITA newswire.
Four issues that will be the subject of referendum questions were included in the governing programme of the new centre-right coalition. The parties have agreed to curb MPs’ immunity, cancel TV and radio licence fees, introduce internet voting and amend the Press Code.
Source: SITA
Compiled by Zuzana Vilikovská from press reports
The Slovak Spectator cannot vouch for the accuracy of the information presented in its Flash News postings.
