The petition on holding the referendum on a snap election was delivered to the Presidential Palace in early May. (source: SITA)
The Constitutional Court has thwarted the opposition's attempt to shorten the term of the current parliament by holding a referendum on a snap election. If such a referendum took place, it would be at odds with the Constitution, reads its decision issued on July 7.
The court’s justices dealt with the question of whether the referendum on a snap election could be held following President Zuzana Čaputová's request. She turned to the court in mid-May, explaining that there were some questions concerning the referendum that not even lawyers and experts could answer.
However, the Constitutional Court’s verdict did not make it completely impossible for a referendum on a snap election to take place in the future. Such a referendum could be held if the parliament passed an amendment to the Constitution introducing a referendum on shortening the election term, the Sme daily reported.
585,000 signatures
A petition to declare a referendum on a snap election was supported by more than 585,000 people, and it was widely supported by the opposition parties that even helped to collect the signatures.
The plebiscite was supposed to contain only one question: whether people agree with shortening the current term of the parliament by holding a general election. The would-be general election would be held within 180 days since announcing the referendum results.
The petition was delivered to the Presidential Palace in early May.
Čaputová explained that the previous court practices did not clarify what the constitutional bodies should do if a referendum on a snap election was valid, or whether the MPs should approve the referendum result or not. In the current state, someone could easily question the course of the referendum or its results at the court, she added.
