Sipos: Referendum Lost Sense for Me, Don't Know Yet Whether I Take Part

Bratislava, 12 June (TASR) - As the referendum called by President Peter Pellegrini for 4 July does not include a question on shortening the parliamentary term, Michal Sipos, vice-chair of 'Slovakia' party, said it has lost its purpose and he hasn't yet decided whether he will take part. Sipos said this on TASR TV on Friday. One of the referendum questions seeks to oblige the cabinet of Robert Fico (Smer-SD) to restore the Office of the Special Prosecutor and the National Criminal Agency (NAKA). However, Sipos said this would have no real significance at present. "I cannot imagine it under the current administration," he said, adding that, in his view, both institutions should be restored only by a new government emerging from next year's parliamentary elections. Sipos argued that spending millions of euros on a referendum solely to strip Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer-SD) of his lifetime pension entitlement would be inefficient. "Even if Robert Fico were to receive the pension for 200 years, it would not cost the state as much as holding the referendum," he said. Sipos added that he did not want to discourage anyone from taking part in the vote. "Our voters are intelligent enough to decide for themselves whether they want to participate. I am concerned that turnout will be very low," he said. According to Sipos, the 'Slovakia' party will not support an initiative by Voice-SD to amend the Constitution so that referendums on early elections can be held in the future. "I can rule that out. We will certainly not cooperate with either Voice-SD or Smer-SD," Sipos said. He added that, in his view, the governing parties support introducing the possibility of a referendum on early elections so that they could initiate one themselves if they end up in opposition after the next parliamentary elections. mf