Štúrovo vote was legal

A municipal court in the south Slovak city of Nitra ruled on October 16 that the city of Štúrovo had not violated the law in holding an April 19 referendum on direct election of the president and NATO membership. The ruling ensures that Štúrovo city council will not face legal action over the vote. Štúrovo had held the referendum in defiance of the government of Premier Vladimír Mečiar, which had cancelled a national vote on the same questions scheduled to be held on the same day. The government had threatened to retaliate against the rebellious municipality.