Referendum, page 2
Pope Francis encourages Slovaks to protect families
POPE Francis has again encouraged Slovaks to continue their efforts to protect the family as a life-giving unit of society, the press office of the Conference of Bishops of Slovakia (KBS) informed.
Slovaks are most tolerant of sexual education question
OF 35 percent of voters who would attend the February 7 referendum on the protection of traditional family, only 5 percent would say no to all three questions.
Priests will call on believers to vote in referendum
SLOVAK bishops are mobilising believers to take part in the referendum on the definition of family set for February 7, news website Aktuality.sk reported January 29.
Referendum might be unvalid, poll suggests
LESS than 40 percent of eligible voters will take part in the February 7 referendum on three issues of marriage, adoption, and sex education, according to a Focus polling agency survey ordered by the Sme daily.
Poll: Referendum will fail
LESS than 40 percent of eligible voters will take part in the February 7 referendum on three issues of marriage, adoption, and sex education, according to a Focus polling agency survey ordered by the Sme daily.
Referendum campaign sees controversy
Plebiscite supporters face criticism, while LGBTI advocates reject pre-referendum discussions
Poll: Only 36 percent Slovaks plan to participate in referendum
Just 36 percent of Slovaks plan to take part in the upcoming referendum on protection of the family, according to a poll by the Trenčín-based Alexander Dubček University. This would render it unvalid as referendum laws require a 50 percent voter turnout.
Legal expert breaks down referendum issues
In an interview for the Sme daily, constitutional law expert Marián Giba, a lecturer at the Law School of the Comenius University in Bratislava, offered his professional insight concerning the upcoming nationwide referendum "on family".
The transcript of refused homily published
THE AKTUALITY.sk website published a transcript of the controversial sermon of Greek Catholic priest Rastislav Baka which the regional Radio Regina refused to broadcast as it, in its opinion, violated the rules for broadcast before a referendum. The public-service Radio and Television of Slovakia (RTVS) has not confirmed the authenticity of the transcript yet.
LGBTI representatives will not converse with referendum organisers
REPRESENTATIVES of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) community have decided not to participate in political shows focusing on the referendum on family broadcast by RTVS and TA3 on Sunday, despite the fact that they originally agreed to join in the debate, the SME daily reported on January 16.
UPDATED: Referendum leader talks vote
THE GRASSROOTS Alliance for Family (AZR) collected more than 400,000 signatures to put ballot questions that could ultimately amend the constitution to tighten the definition of family and ban same sex couples from adopting children. President Andrej Kiska has set February 7 as the date voters will face three referendum questions: Do you agree that only a bond between one man and one woman can be called marriage? Do you agree that same-sex couples or groups shouldn’t be allowed to adopt and raise children? Do you agree that schools cannot require children to participate in education pertaining to sexual behaviour or euthanasia if their parents don’t agree?
Turnout key to referendum result
EVEN amid heated discussion about the content of a February 7 referendum targeting the constitutional definition of family, experts say the biggest test for supporters of the Alliance for Family (AZR) ballot initiative is whether turnout surpasses the required 50-percent quorum of eligible voters.
UPDATED: LGBTI advocate addresses referendum
VOTER referenda are an important tool to spur public participation in governance, says Martin Macko, executive director of Initiative Inakosť, a civic association advocating rights of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transsexual and intersexual people. Voters can also express their indifference toward a ballot question by choosing not to vote, he says. Macko spoke to The Slovak Spectator about the upcoming referendum that seeks to further define the term family, the ongoing campaign and the repercussions a successful referendum would have on LGBTI community.
Diplomats are awaiting referendum result
THE REFERENDUM that seeks to constitutionally define the concept of family is dividing Slovak society. Members of the foreign diplomatic community, who traditionally speak with distinct voice when it comes to protection of minority rights, closely follow the campaign as well as the public discourse preceding the February 7 vote.
Alliance for Family (AZR) threatens lawsuits against media
The Alliance for Family (AZR), a civic association that initiated the referendum on family to take place on February 7, reacted to the refusal of Slovak TV channels to broadcast their ads, deeming it illegal censorship.
Some media decline to air Alliance for Family’s ads
SOME television stations have refused to broadcast the spots prepared by the Alliance for Family (AZR) before the referendum on family scheduled for February 7, the Omediach.com website reported.
Pastor: Referendum won’t solve problems for Slovak families
THE REFERENDUM “on the protection of family” has been set for February 7 and seeks answers to three questions: limiting the application of the word “marriage” only to the union of a man and a woman; a question on preventing same-sex couples from adopting children; and whether or not parents should be able to opt their children out of sex education in schools.
Referendum sparks rights discussions
Discussions about defining a family and LGBTI rights were the predominant human rights issues in 2014.
Court clears referenda on family
A REFERENDUM that seeks to constitutionally define the concept of family is likely to take place after all, albeit not with all the questions that the petitioners proposed after the Constitutional Court ruled on October 28 that three of the four questions that social conservatives want to pose to voters could go forward.
“Anti-gay” referendum petitions has signatures
SUPPORTERS of the ideas of families and marriage calling for higher legislative protection have succeeded in collecting enough signatures to hold a referendum. Opponents plainly call the proposal an “anti-gay” referendum.
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