KDH: Smer-SD New Voting Plan from Abroad Unconstitutional

Bratislava, 31 March (TASR) - A proposal by Smer-SD to change voting rules for parliamentary elections from abroad is unconstitutional, the opposition's Christian Democratic Movement (KDH) stated on Tuesday, citing its analyses. The Christian Democrats also declared that if the proposal were adopted, they would challenge it in the Constitutional Court, TASR learnt from KDH's press department. KDH considers the abolition of postal voting and its restriction exclusively to embassies a purely political calculation. "According to our analyses, this is even in conflict with the Constitution. There are few diplomatic missions worldwide, and the coalition is thus turning citizens abroad into second-class voters," the party said. KDH also pointed out that the proposal contains a hidden requirement for mandatory electronic registration, which it says complicates the situation for older people. The Christian Democrats view the extension of the changes to presidential elections, without the option of postal voting, as a smokescreen. It takes a similar view of the increase in the electoral deposit. While it says adjustments to the deposit could be fairly discussed, after the decades that has passed since its introduction, KDH argues Smer-SD merely attached it to the proposal for expedient reasons. "If the coalition pushes this law through, we will immediately challenge it in the Constitutional Court. We call on the government to abandon this intention," the party added. The amendment to the law on conditions for exercising voting rights was submitted to Parliament by Smer-SD MPs. It proposes a new method of voting from abroad, under which voting would take place at diplomatic missions rather than by post. At the same time, it would extend the option of voting from abroad to presidential elections. The amendment also changes the amount of the electoral deposit for elections to Parliament and the European Parliament. mf