State Electoral Commission Confirms Referendum Invalid, Turnout Was 16.3 Percent

Bratislava, 5 July (TASR) - The State Electoral Commission on Sunday morning confirmed that the Saturday's (4 July) referendum failed, on account of the low voter turnout of 16.13 percent. The participation of more than 50 percent of voters was needed. In the tenth referendum in independent Slovakia's history, voters are deciding on two questions: whether to abolish the so-called lifetime annuity granted under the law to certain constitutional office holders, including, for example, Premier Robert Fico, and whether to restore the Special Prosecutor's Office and the National Crime Agency (NAKA). The petition for the referendum was initiated by the extra-parliamentary Democrats party. It wanted to have three questions in it, but the question concerning the demand to shorten the electoral term ultimately wasn't part of the referendum. President Peter Pellegrini didn't include this question in it, as he believed that it contradicts to the Slovak Constitution. In line with the Slovak Constitution, the results of a referendum are valid if more than half of eligible voters take part in it and if the decision is adopted by an absolute majority of referendum participants. ko