Rasi and Groehling Clash Over Referendum Decision and Sanctions Resolution

(TA3, 'V politike', 8 June) Speaking on TA3's discussion programme 'V politike' (In Politics) on Sunday, House Chair Richard Rasi (Voice-SD) said that President Peter Pellegrini’s decision not to call a referendum on anti-Russian sanctions was based on a clear legal interpretation that the conditions required by law had not been met and that the proposed referendum would be difficult to implement, while his opponent, SaS leader and opposition MP Branislav Groehling, argued it was an arbitrary decision and that the president should have consulted the Constitutional Court in case of doubt. "This institution [Constitutional Court] exists precisely to decide on disputed cases concerning referendum questions," emphasised the leader of the opposition party. Rasi, on the other hand, sees no reason to turn to the Constitutional Court if the president received a clear legal opinion from the legal experts. "Should they then turn to the Constitutional Court every time?" Rasi asked. The president said on Wednesday that a referendum initiated by the extra-parliamentary Slovak Revival Movement on lifting sanctions against Russia can't be declared. He sees ambiguities in the requested question: "Do you agree that the Slovak Republic should not apply sanctions against the Russian Federation that harm Slovak citizens, sole traders and businesses?". In his view, the proposal for a referendum is not clear, definite or predictable and would therefore be unworkable in practice. lin