Election Committee rejects referendum initiatives concerning Paks upgrade

Budapest, April 4 (MTI) – The National Election Committee on Tuesday threw out five referendum initiatives concerning the planned upgrade of the Paks nuclear plant.

Three of the initiatives had been proposed by green opposition LMP, while two by the Dialogue party.

The body rejected three of the proposed referendum questions saying that they were not clearly worded.

Concerning a fourth question, if voters agreed that the government should terminate its agreement with Russia on the upgrade project, the body said that such termination was a government competency rather than that of parliament, while a referendum can only be held on subjects controlled by parliament.

The last question, whether voters would support any nuclear projects in Hungary in the next 50 years, would impact Hungary’s international obligations, and as such, could not be approved, the body said.

LMP co-leader Bernadett Szél criticised the body for its attitude of “picking holes” to reject the initiatives, and insisted that the committee had passed politically motivated decisions. Szél said her party was determined to appeal to the supreme court and reword their questions in a way that the committee cannot reject them.

Photo: Daily News Hungary

Source: MTI