Exclusion of Mentally Disabled Violates Equality of Rights
Published: Wednesday, Oct 25th 2023, 12:30
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The Swiss Federal Council has released a report on the political participation of people with intellectual disabilities, concluding that the current exclusion of such people from voting and other political rights is no longer in line with international standards and leads to unequal treatment. According to estimates, around 16,000 Swiss citizens are affected by this exclusion. The report discusses two possible solutions: the abolition of the exclusion from voting rights, or a specific assessment of the incapacity to make decisions in each individual case. The Federal Council states that a change in the rules can only be made through a constitutional amendment. The report was commissioned by the Council of States in 2021 in response to a postulate from former Councilor Marina Carobbio Guscetti, which called for measures to ensure that people with intellectual disabilities can participate in politics without restrictions.
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