Political rights also for people with intellectual disabilities
Published: Thursday, Nov 28th 2024, 14:20
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All Swiss citizens of legal age, including people with intellectual disabilities, should have the same political rights and obligations. The Federal Council recommends the adoption of a corresponding motion by a National Council committee.
According to the constitution, people who are "incapacitated due to mental illness or mental deficiency" are currently not entitled to political rights. This excludes around 16,000 people in Switzerland from the right to vote, writes the National Council's Political Institutions Committee (SPK-N) in its proposal.
Anyone who is under comprehensive guardianship due to permanent incapacity of judgment or is represented by a guardian should not be allowed to vote. An automatic withdrawal of this right for people with disabilities is not permissible for the majority of the SPK-N.
The motion passed by a small SPK majority is based on a petition from the 2023 disability session. Twelve representatives of the SVP and FDP in the SPK-N reject the motion. The Federal Council, on the other hand, recommends its adoption. It published its statement on Thursday without making any further comments.
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