Suffrage Universel
Droit de vote en Tchéquie
Le droit de vote des étrangers en Tchéquie
From: "Pierre-Yves Lambert" <pyl.lambert@skynet.be>
To: <dotazy@mvcr.cz>
Subject: foreign residents and voting rights for the municipal elections
Date: Sat, 26 Oct 2002 18:02:19 +0200
Dear Sir, Madam,
At the page http://www.mvcr.cz/reforma/zakony/an_muni.html ("ACT of 12th April 2000 on Municipalities (Establishment of Municipalities"), I read that "The rights specified in § 16 above shall also be enjoyed by any natural person who has reached the age of 18, is a citizen of a foreign country and has permanent residence registered in the municipality, if an international treaty by which the Czech Republic is bound and which has been promulgated so stipulates."
I guess the "international treaty" will principally be the one by which the Czech republic will enter the European Union, but I'd like to know if, like the Spanish and Portuguese legislations, this possibility will also be extended to "third countries" that grant all foreign residents voting rights for municipal elections (Norway, Venezuela, Argentina, Burkina Faso etc.).
Is there already such a treaty that would enable some foreign residents to vote for the coming municipal elections of november, 1-2 ?
Best regards.
Pierre-Yves Lambert (Brussels)
webmaster of the "Suffrage Universel" site http://www.suffrage-universel.be/
From: <Petra_Wagnerova/CSU/CZ%CSU@notes.cz>
To: <pyl.lambert@skynet.be>
Sent: Monday, November 04, 2002 10:58 AM
Dear Mr. Lambert,
let me answer to your question about possibility of foreign residents to vote in municipal elections in 1 and 2 November 2002. An international treaty which would enable the above mentioned persons to vote in these elections does not exist at the moment.
According to the provision of § 4 of the Act on elections to the local authorities (No. 491/2001 LD), the possibility will be exist for all foreign residents if they are citizens of a country with which the Czech Republic has signed a relevant type treaty (which description is enacted in § 4). There is not supposed the possibility will be only for the citizens of the member states of the EU.
Thank you that you are interested in our legislation and if you have any other questions do not hesitate to contact me.
Yours sincerely
Mgr. Petra Wagnerová
an official of the Ministry of Interior of the Czech Republic