Five cantons decide on eight proposals – Neuchâtel votes
Published: Sunday, Nov 26th 2023, 04:41
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Eight substantive proposals will be put to the vote in five cantons on Sunday. In Basel-Stadt, Lucerne and Nidwalden, five initiatives are on the ballot. Appenzell Ausserrhoden wants to reduce the number of municipalities and Zug wants to cut taxes. In Neuchâtel, the cantonal government will be completed.
For the government of Appenzell Ausserrhoden, this is one of the "most formative votes" since the abolition of the Landsgemeinde in the half-canton. Two scenarios for the future structure of the municipalities will be put to the vote.
The cantonal government in Herisau is in favor of the so-called counter-proposal, which aims to reduce the current 20 municipalities to three to five by 2028 through mergers. A contingent proposal drawn up by the cantonal council goes less far and does not contain any concrete specifications regarding the number of municipalities. It merely wants to make mergers possible. The municipalities themselves would have to take the necessary steps.
Silent election prevented
The electorate of Neuchâtel will elect a replacement for Laurent Kurth, who has resigned from the cantonal government. Frédéric Mairy (SP) should be elected without any problems. Initially, it had looked like a silent election, as no other party had laid claim to the seat.
The candidacies of the two outsiders Jean-Luc Pieren (SVP) and Thomas Wroblevski (non-party) were not well received in the canton. Wroblevski would not have accepted the election anyway. His only concern was that blank ballot papers should be counted in elections and votes.
Less road space
In the half-canton of Basel-Stadt, voters will decide on two climate initiatives. The "Good Air Initiative" calls for 240,000 square meters of street space to be turned into green areas within ten years.
The "Future Initiative" wants to convert an equally large area of road space dominated by car traffic into space for pedestrians, cyclists and public transport over the same period. The referendums will be put to the vote without a counter-proposal because parliament was unable to reach agreement.
The "anti-congestion initiative" being put to the vote in Lucerne aims to go in the opposite direction. It is opposed by a car-friendly counter-proposal.
The initiative demands that the capacity of the cantonal road network must not be reduced. The counter-proposal stipulates that the canton should ensure an efficient road network. Any reduction in capacity would be compensated for in the surrounding road network.
The second cantonal Lucerne initiative for "Attractive Centers" demands that town centers along cantonal and municipal roads should be designed to be compatible with residential areas. They should once again become important meeting places.
The cantonal parliament decided against a counter-proposal and is in favor of rejecting the initiative. Another item on the ballot is the expansion of the Sursee cantonal school.
Consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic
Voters in Nidwalden will decide on the "child protection initiative", a consequence of the coronavirus protection measures. Specifically, the initiative wants to require the consent of pupils or their parents for measures such as compulsory masks or tests.
The government and parliament argue that the initiative would be ineffective in the event of a pandemic because federal law would then apply. Screening examinations by school doctors would no longer be mandatory and could therefore no longer fulfill their purpose. Simple measures against head lice, for example, would be made disproportionately more difficult.
The voters of the canton of Zug are deciding on a tax reduction. In July, the cantonal parliament held a referendum against the tax law revision.
The reason for the eighth revision of the tax law, which is due to come into force in 2024, is the good financial situation of the canton of Zug. Among other things, the revision provides for an increase in deductions for childcare and a reduction in wealth tax.
On the same day, the voters of Zug will decide on the successor to the retiring President of the Administrative Court in a competitive election.
©Keystone/SDA
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