In court, there is another lawsuit against the Brno City Hall regarding the referendum

Brno - Activists from the civic alliance Referendum 2014 have filed another lawsuit against the Brno City Council at the Regional Court in Brno for not announcing a referendum on the location of the new Brno train station. The activists are disturbed by the fact that the city council did not announce the public vote on Tuesday, and the topic did not even make it onto the agenda. The announcement of the lawsuit was made today by Jakub Patočka on behalf of the preparatory committee.
    The activists submitted a petition with more than 20,000 signatures to the city hall during the summer. Around 18,500 residents' consent is needed. Officials rejected about 8,000 signatures due to illegibility and other reasons, which is why the activists filed the first lawsuit in August.
    The activists supplemented the list and submitted nearly 6,000 signatures to the city council on Monday. Officials have 15 days to review them, which is why the city council did not address the petition on Tuesday. In order for the referendum to take place alongside the municipal elections in October, Mayor Roman Onderka (ČSSD) would need to convene an extraordinary council meeting, or the court could declare the referendum, to which the activists are now directing their hopes.
    "We ask the court to expedite its decision and rule within 12 days," said Miroslav Patrik, a member of the preparatory committee for the referendum. According to him, it is necessary that the court decides no later than September 15, that is, 25 days before the municipal elections, so that the voting can take place together. "It has not been possible to declare the referendum through official or political means, now we are trying to invoke the referendum legally and thereby bypass the arrogant mannerisms of politicians," Patrik stated.
    The relocation of the train station in Brno has been a hotly debated topic for a long time. Many consider the current station to be an embarrassment to the city. Its modernization is expected to cost around 20 billion korunas.
    A referendum on the train station was held in Brno ten years ago. The majority of people were in favor of its preservation in the current location, but only 25 percent of voters turned out at the polls. Therefore, the viewpoint of the people was not binding for the city. This is why the activists strive for the referendum to take place on the same date as the municipal elections, when more people go to the polls. The law requires 35 percent voter turnout for a referendum.