Parliament rejects €500 reward for voters. Proposal may come again

Parliament rejected on Wednesday a proposal for a €500 reward for each voter who takes part in the upcoming snap election. The proposal was submitted by OLANO leader Igor Matovic as an amendment to the law on terms of exercising the right to vote. In line with the amendment, the reward should have been paid by the Interior Ministry via a universal service provider. Matovic claimed that the aim was to increase the election turnout, as he was concerned that a low number of people would come to polling stations. Despite the failure to pass the amendment to the second reading, before the vote, Matovic submitted the proposal for a €500 reward to Parliament again. Proposals that are rejected may be reintroduced again after 6 months. Nonetheless, Matovic believes that the proposal should be included in the parliamentary session with regards to the fact it was submitted sooner than the original one was turned down by Parliament. He expects it to be discussed at the May session.