GSoA wants to waive a referendum

It’s a last try. In recent weeks, the parties have outbid each other with suggestions on how indirect arms supplies to Ukraine could be made possible. Because abroad there is a total lack of understanding that the Bundesrat forbids other states to pass on war materials for reasons of neutrality.

However, until now any attempt to change this in Parliament has seemed hopeless. In the security policy Commission of the National Council (SiK-N) have FDP and SP together with GLP and Mitte have now come back together to reach a compromise. This too will have some hurdles to overcome – but with a better chance of success.

“That’s the lesser of the two evils anyway”

In any case, this initiative is narrowly defined and adheres to our core concern that arms are not exported to countries with serious human rights violations. gada from the group Switzerland without an army (GSoA). “In this way, we could prevent the bourgeoisie’s attack on the recently tightened War Material Act in order to reopen the Swiss arms industry to arms exports to Saudi Arabia.”

The move by FDP president Thierry Burkart (47), on the other hand, would have been a license for arms exports to Saudi Arabia or Qatar. gada convinced. “The new proposal from the National Council Committee is in any case the lesser of the evil.”

A new compromise should solve it

The compromise proposal should allow the Federal Council to exceptionally limit a non-re-export declaration to five years for clearly defined countries. The transfer of arms to a country at war such as present-day Ukraine would be possible if this country exercised its right of self-defense under international law. The UN Security Council or the UN General Assembly would have to declare a war of aggression illegal under international law by a two-thirds majority.

The amendment would also apply retroactively. Non-re-export declarations signed more than five years before their entry into force could be revoked by the Federal Council at the request of a foreign government.

Yourself GSoA would be on board

“If the amendment gets through parliament in this form, we will probably do it without a referendum,” he said GSoA secretary gada clearly. Because then Switzerland would only keep talking about possible arms deliveries. “But we want to focus more attention on other areas where Switzerland could provide much more help.”

For example, Switzerland must focus on the money that would flow to Russia via the commodity trade. Or about humanitarian aid, of which Switzerland can offer much more. Or about the reconstruction in Ukraine. “And the fact that parliament is only discussing an oligarch task force now, a year after the start of the war, is downright embarrassing,” she says. gada.

At the moment, however, only guns are discussed in this country. It is not Switzerland’s job to provide military aid. “There’s not much we can do about that.” Swiss munitions abroad, they say, “certainly cannot have a decisive military influence” on the war.

The GSoA That’s why I’d rather end these gun discussions today than tomorrow. “However, should Parliament want to allow arms exports to countries that systematically violate human rights, we will use all means to oppose it,” he said. gada clearly. Then a referendum is certain.

Source:Blick