Slovenia is voting in four referendums – one legislative and three advisory. The referendums concern parliamentary investigations, the financing of the national broadcaster RTV Slo, social benefits and the right of third-country nationals to vote in local elections.
Vote on parliamentary investigations
The legislative referendum is related to changes to the law on parliamentary investigations adopted by parliament in May. Voters must decide whether persons who are under investigation or are potential suspects in a parliamentary procedure can request a constitutional review of the investigation.
The petition for the referendum was submitted with nearly 45,000 citizen signatures by former members of the parliamentary human rights committee. According to the initiators, the changes remove one of the key safeguards against political abuse of parliamentary investigations. Opposition parties have also joined the campaign to collect signatures.
Three non-binding referendums
At the proposal of the ruling coalition around the Slovenian Democratic Party and the “Resnica“ party, the parliament has scheduled three more consultative referendums.
Voters are voting on the issue of abolishing the user fee for the national media RTV Slo, on the right to social benefits for able-bodied people and on the right to vote for third-country nationals in local elections.
The results of these three referendums will not oblige the authorities to take specific action. In contrast, the result of the legislative referendum will be binding on the parliament. If the majority votes against the changes to the law, the deputies will not be able to adopt and implement them, nor to introduce new provisions that practically contradict them.
Opposition proposal did not make it to the ballot
„Movement for Freedom“, the Social Democrats and „Left“ have also proposed a referendum on the release of Parliament Speaker Zoran Stevanović. However, this poll is not included in today's vote.
The campaign ended at midnight on October 9, when the pre-election silence began. It continues until the end of election day.
Sources: bta.bg