Rasi: Voice-SD Open to Secret Vote on Government's Constitutional Amendment

Bratislava, 25 September (TASR) – House chair Richard Rasi (Voice-SD) is open to the possibility of a secret vote on the government's proposed constitutional amendment. MPs from the Voice party will support such a proposal if it is officially submitted for discussion, Rasi stated at a press conference on Thursday. "The proposal was mentioned during the debate. It must be submitted by 5:00 p.m. If it is, we'll vote for it. A secret vote allows everyone to truly express their opinion without being directly pressured," he said. Rasi considers the issue to be sensitive, and he believes that the vote should be based on values rather than politics. He expressed hope that MPs from the Christian Democratic Movement (KDH) will support the amendment. "I call on the entire opposition to take part and to show in a secret vote what their true stance is instead of creating problems for their colleagues in the Christian Democratic Movement," he added. Parliament is set to vote on the constitutional amendment after 5:00 p.m. on Thursday According to the proposed changes, the Constitution would explicitly define two sexes – male and female. It would also introduce a guarantee of equal pay for men and women. The amendment further addresses adoption rights and the educational process. The changes aim to strengthen Slovakia’s sovereignty in matters of values and cultural-ethical issues. In June, opposition parties KDH and the Christian Union also managed to include some of their priorities in the draft. mf/df