ZAGREB, May 26, 2018 – Social Democratic Party (SDP) MP Peđa Grbin on Friday told reporters that his party had collected the signatures of 50 parliamentarians and submitted a draft constitutional amendment to parliament regulating in detail the issue of referendums.
Grbin proposed that a moratorium be imposed on ongoing signature-gathering drives for two referendums until the constitution was amended.
The motion to amend the constitution was signed by members of parliament from the SDP, HSS, GLAS, IDS, HSU, SNAGA and SDSS parties as well as by independent MPs Mirando Mrsić and Zdravko Ronko.
It is interesting that in addition to opposition MPs, the draft amendment will also be presented in the parliament by Serb and Italian minority MPs Milorad Pupovac (SDSS) and Furio Radin, who are members of the parliamentary majority. Not one MP from the MOST or Živi Zid parties signed the motion.
On Monday, the SDP announced that it would propose amendments to the Constitution proposing that a minimum of 200,000 signatures should be required for calling a referendum, so that referendums can be called more frequently and more effectively. The present requirement is that signatures of at least 10 percent of the electorate, which is about 370,000, need to be gathered to call a referendum.
Citing Slovenia’s model, the SDP is proposing that referendums should not be allowed on such issues as reducing fundamental civil rights and freedoms, taxation and the state budget, meeting commitments under international treaties, defence and national security, and elections and appointments which fall within parliament’s remit.
The amendment, Grbin explained, also includes changes regarding the majority required for a referendum to succeed. Referendums would be categorised into three groups – one on regular laws requiring the support of at least 25% of the electorate; one concerning decisions and laws that are adopted by a majority vote in the parliament (organic), which would require the support of at least 40% of voters; and one on amendments to the Constitution, which would require the support of 50% of voters plus one vote.
