The Constitution and the electoral laws as toys in the hands of Constitutional Court judges

The Constitutional Court reacts late yet again, and changes the rules of the electoral game one minute before it begins, right before the dissolution of the Parliament, when there is nothing to be done to fix the flaws of the legal framework. The decision is politically coloured in favour of the political elite and against…

On financing campaigns and referenda: The Government and the Parliament are (again) unenthusiastic

In order to invalidate to the largest extent possible the rule that elections are won with „one third above and two thirds below the table“, GONG is appealing to the Government and the Parliament that, before their dissolution, they pass a long awaited and improved Act on Referenda, and to make the most of the…

“Referendum on referendums” initiative collects 315,000 signatures

A group of 15 trade unions and seven civil society organisations calling for “a referendum on referendums” have so far collected 315,000 signatures for their petition, the group’s coordinators said at a press conference in Zagreb on Thursday, appealing to the public to support their initiative over the remaining three days in order to “save…

Referendum initiative submits two questions to Constitutional Court

The “Pro Referendum” civic initiative submitted two referendum questions to the Constitutional Court on Monday for evaluation, which it intends to raise – that signatures for referendums can be collected at any appropriate place, as is the case now, and that referendums can be called if requested by 200,000 voters or five percent of all…

New civil initiative to call a referendum on referendums

“A referendum with fewer signatures and more petition sites” – this is the message of a new civil initiative by 15 unions and seven civil society organisations to launch the collection of signatures for a new referendum so as to ensure that signatures continue to be collected in public places and that the number of…

NGOs to be allowed to finance referendums after all?

Public Administration Minister Arsen Bauk announced in Parliament on Tuesday that before the second reading of the bill on the financing of political activity, election campaigning and referendums he would ease the ban for civil society organisations to finance referendum activities. The ban was opposed by nearly all members of the Committee on the Constitution,…