Feature: Referendum about family in Slovakia too calm, for majority uninteresting

Saturday have Slovaks possibility to express their opinion in a very sensitive issue, family.

Pensioner Eva Chovancova from Bratislava has decided to attend it without any doubts.

"I'm a supporter of traditional family with father, mother and children," expressed Chovancova. She belongs to the more than 400,000 of Slovaks, who signed the petition, leading to this referendum.

The plebiscite concerns with issues, such as the status of marriage as a unique bond between a man and a woman, the right of same-sex couples to adopt and raise children and the right of parents to decide whether or not their children should attend classes dealing with sex education and euthanasia.

Student Peter Kovac from Eastern Slovakia and living in Bratislava disagrees with questions in referendum.

"They don't solve the problems of our society and family. Although I attended referendum, because in democracy it is crucial to express own opinion," said Kovac.

Both opinions represent division of Slovak public during this plebiscite, but only verbal, because the referendum has been peaceful without any disturbances.

"The voting has been peaceful and without any problems," said Elena Kustekova, representing the municipality of Levice in Southwestern Slovakia.

For Roma population in Eastern Slovakia the referendum about traditional family is absolutely uninteresting. In the well known borough Lunik IX in Kosice the poll has attracted only a handful voters.

"Two young eligible voters came here to ask what's this election about and who's being elected. We told them that it's a referendum, and they reacted by stating that they aren't interested in it, and left," expressed chairman of the local commission Peter Palla.

The calm conduct of the referendum was confirmed by the Central Referendum Commission as well.

"We has dealt with only six minor complaints so far like a complaint stating that posters were placed near a polling station persuading people to vote in a certain manner," said Eva Chmelova, director of the election department at the Slovak Interior Ministry.

This referendum was initiated by a civil association called the Family Alliance, which organised a petition backing the proposal that was eventually signed by more than 400,000 people. They started with collecting in 2014 after the Rainbow Pride in Bratislava, parade of the homosexual people.

"We're happy that we've been able to decide on what it's important for our children. I believe that the people realise that this is a very important vote. I think that having a decent and fair debate was necessary, and it's important to allow people to decide on things that concern them," said Anton Chromik, one of the representatives of the Family Alliance.

The referendum in Slovakia will be valid only if more than half of registered voters, or about 2 million people, take part in it, with the votes of a simple majority required to pass or reject individual items on the list.

If the referendum succeeds, it will become the first valid referendum initiated by a public petition in Slovakia's history. There have been seven so far and only one has been declared valid, on Slovakia joining the EU, but this was initiated by politicians in Parliament. Endit