Citizens should have the opportunity to call a referendum on the early end of the electoral period, but not at any time. The coalition party Hlas-SD proposes that signatures for such a referendum can be collected no earlier than one year after the parliamentary elections, and the referendum could be announced no later than one year before the proper end of the election period. On Monday, the Chairman of the National Council of the Slovak Republic, Richard Raši (Hlas-SD), informed about the details of the proposal, which has the possibility of triggering early elections through a referendum and introducing it into the constitution. He also announced that, in cooperation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, they found a way to expand the number of locations abroad, from where SR citizens could vote after the cancellation of postal elections.
- Citizens should have the constitutional possibility to shorten the election period by referendum.
- Signatures for the referendum on early elections will be collected for a limited time.
- A successful referendum will end the parliamentary term on the one hundred and fiftieth day after the results.
- Voting from abroad should be transferred to consular offices after the cancellation of the post office.
- The possibility to vote from abroad is to be extended to presidential elections as well.
“If such a referendum were successful, the election period of the National Council would be over on the 150th day after the announcement of the results of the referendum,” the speaker of the parliament approached. He also reiterated that they will submit the proposal to introduce such an option into the constitution as an amendment to their amendment to the constitution, which the deputies have included in the program.
On the subject of elections from abroad, Raši pointed out that Hlas-SD always wanted the number of polling stations abroad to be increased in the event of cancellation of postal elections. “Either our consulate or a permanent mission at an international organization or an international grouping can create a workplace according to a special regulation. This means that, for example, in Denmark, where our embassy was abolished, it will be possible to create a place where Slovak citizens who live in that country can vote. For example, in the case of Denmark, they will be able to vote in Copenhagen. In addition, the places where you can vote have also expanded, that is, outside the embassies and consulates general themselves,” stated.
The chairman of the Hlas-SD party, Matúš Šutaj Eštok, announced at the end of April that the party wants to push for the possibility of shortening the parliamentary term through a referendum. Such an option is currently not possible according to the constitution.
The amendment to the Act on the conditions for the exercise of the right to vote, which the deputies moved to the second reading this week, is supposed to bring about an amendment to voting from abroad. It is proposed by Smer-SD, but its coalition parties Hlas-SD and SNS are notifying amendments. According to the new system, voting is to be done at representative offices, not by post. At the same time, the possibility of voting from abroad should also be extended to presidential elections. The opposition criticized the proposal.
