BRATISLAVA, Slovakia, February 9, 2015 (LifeSiteNews.com) — The Slovakian referendum to reaffirm the definition of true marriage that took place on Saturday failed to produce a legally binding result because the required number of eligible voters did not participate.
Parliamentarians in Slovakia had already enshrined marriage as a “unique bond between a man and a woman” in the country’s Constitution last year, so the failure of this vote has no effect on the law.
In Saturday's referendum Slovaks were asked to agree or disagree with the statements:
- that marriage can be called a union only between a man and a woman,
- that same-sex partners must be barred from adopting children,
- that it’s up to parents to decide whether their children receive sex education.
The referendum was initiated by the pro-life, pro-family organization Alliance for Family.
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Danka Jaceckova of Forum of Life, an affiliate of Human Life International, said that the referendum was “an intense fight for conscience,” and that “participating in the first referendum in the history of Slovakia that is initiated by citizens, represents a significant step towards the support of democracy and freedom of expression in Slovakia.”
A turnout of only 21 percent of eligible voters failed to reach the required 50 percent for the measure to have passed.
Those who did vote, however, overwhelmingly voiced their support for the initiative, with 95, 92, and 90 percent respectively saying “yes” to the three questions.
Alliance for Family spokesman Anton Chromik said that despite the outcome, the strong support of voters who participated in the referendum was a good base from which to continue to promote the truth and dignity of the human person, the family, and true marriage.
