Eight referendums were held in Switzerland during 2002. Nohlen, D & Stöver, P (2010) ''Elections in Europe: A data handbook'', p1943 The first two were held on 3 March on popular initiatives for Switzerland to join the

United Nations The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be a centre for harmoniz ...

and to reduce working hours. UN membership was approved, whilst the shorter working hours proposal was rejected. The next two were held on 2 June on amending the penal code regarding abortion, which was approved, and a

popular initiative In political science, an initiative (also known as a popular initiative or citizens' initiative) is a means by which a petition signed by a certain number of registered voters can force a government to choose either to enact a law or hold a p ...

"for mother and child", which was rejected. The next set referendums was held on 22 September, with a

on adding surplus gold reserves to the country's pension fund and a counter-proposal, as well as a federal law on the

electricity market In a broad sense, an electricity market is a system that facilitates the exchange of electricity-related goods and services. During more than a century of evolution of the electric power industry, the economics of the electricity markets had un ...

. All three were rejected. The final two referendums were held on 24 November on a

"against misuse of asylum rights" and a federal law on compulsory unemployment insurance and compensation for insolvencies. The asylum proposal was rejected, whilst the federal law was approved.

Results

In the referendum with the counter-proposal voters could also give no answer. For the main question 53,237 voters (2.5%) did not answer, whilst for the counter-proposal 80,432 (3.8%) did not answer.Switzerland, 22 September 2002: Surplus gold reserves into the AHV Funds (Gold Initiative) with counter-proposal
Direct Democracy

References

{{Portal bar, Politics, Switzerland 2002 elections in Switzerland 2002 referendums 2002 Abortion debate Enlargement of the United Nations Pension referendums Switzerland and the United Nations Abortion referendums