In Slovakia, constitutional court dismisses citizens initiative for referendum on snap parliament elections

Slovakia’s top court ruled [on 7 July] that a nationwide referendum cannot be held on whether to call an early parliamentary election. President Zuzana Caputova had asked the Constitutional Court to rule on the matter after over 585,000 Slovak citizens signed petitions calling for the snap vote, which the political opposition proposed over the government’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic. At least 350,000 signatures are needed to qualify a referendum in the country of 5.4 million. If a majority voted yes in the proposed election referendum, a new parliamentary ballot would have to be held in 180 days. [...] Justice Minister Maria Kolikova and some leading law experts doubted that such a referendum would be in line with the rule of law and advised the president to turn to the Constitutional Court. The court agreed the proposed vote would not conform with the Constitution because it would “violate the character of Slovakia as a democratic state with the rule of law,” chief judge Ivan Fiacan said. Parliament would have to amend the Constitution to specifically allow such a referendum, the court said.
Read the full article here: Federal News Network