Roundtable discussions on collecting signatures have begun
Published: Wednesday, Oct 30th 2024, 19:20
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Round table discussions began in Bern on Wednesday with the aim of increasing transparency in the collection of signatures. This is one of the measures taken by the Federal Chancellery following the discovery of suspected forgeries.
As the Federal Chancellery announced on Wednesday, around 30 representatives from initiative committees, collection organizations, political parties, interest groups and authorities took part in the event.
The current situation surrounding the alleged forged signatures and problematic collection practices that have come to light was the subject of the first exchange. According to the press release, the next steps were also presented and discussed as part of the round table.
Results in spring 2025
The aim of the round table is to jointly develop a code of conduct to which initiative and referendum committees, as well as collecting organizations, could commit themselves and refer to. Elements of such a code of conduct could include the traceability of signature lists, wrote the Federal Chancellery.
Measures for transparency regarding the collection strategy and the use of paid collectors are also conceivable. The "Round Table on the Integrity of Signature Collections" is designed as a committee at an operational level.
It will also meet in working groups to develop the specific content of the code. Cesla Amarelle, professor of law at the University of Neuchâtel and former State Councillor of the Canton of Vaud, and the lawyer and former Bernese town clerk Jürg Wichtermann will accompany the further work as experts. The results should be available in spring 2025.
Increased monitoring and control
The Confederation has already taken several measures to prevent counterfeiting. Since this year, municipalities have been able to report suspected cases of counterfeiting to the Federal Chancellery using an online form.
This monitoring, which is currently in the test phase, enables systematic and simple reporting of counterfeits. The Federal Chancellery is already checking reports. The system will go live throughout Switzerland in November.
For its part, the Federal Chancellery has introduced more in-depth checks since the beginning of the year. Two people instead of one are now responsible for monitoring, and this applies to all initiatives and referendums as well as all cantons. This no longer only applies if there is a suspicion of a violation.
At the beginning of September, the Tamedia newspapers reported that thousands of signature data for popular initiatives were allegedly falsified in Switzerland. The Federal Chancellery filed criminal charges against persons unknown back in 2022 and has since added new suspected cases several times, according to its own statements.
The Federal Chancellery filed its first criminal complaint in 2022 after municipalities in the cantons of Vaud and Geneva reported indications of irregularities.
A second was submitted a month ago following an increase in indications of irregularities in the cantons of Bern and Zurich. It concerns 950 signatures from six cantons for five popular initiatives. Most of them have already been declared invalid.
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