Consistency is required in the parliamentary process on the "Corrective Initiative". The Alliance against Arms Exports to Civil War Countries, of which terre des hommes Switzerland is a member, is basically pleased that the indirect counter-proposal to the "Corrective Initiative" intends to amend the War Material Act in its favour. However, the Federal Council wants to be able to continue to evade consistent democratic control by means of a new exemption regulation. Parliament must now close this loophole.
In its indirect counter-proposal, the Federal Council takes up important concerns of the "corrective initiative": Deliveries to civil war countries or states that seriously and systematically violate human rights should no longer be possible. These regulations are to be enshrined in law in order to guarantee the necessary democratic control over arms exports and to prevent arbitrary decisions under pressure from the arms lobby in future.
However, Allianz vehemently rejects the proposed powers of derogation for the Federal Council to nevertheless approve arms exports in "exceptional circumstances" and to "safeguard foreign or security policy interests". The Federal Council merely wants to keep a loophole open to circumvent the right of parliament and the population to have their say. This minimalist to ineffective implementation of the corrective initiative is unacceptable - the deviation clause must be deleted. As a compromise, the Alliance would be prepared to forego the deletion of the exemption clause for spare parts deliveries. However, ammunition must not be considered a spare part in this context, as is the case today.
The parliamentary process on the "Corrective Initiative" was launched last week by the Security Policy Committee of the Council of States. Allianz is pleased that a majority of the SiK-S supports the indirect counter-proposal of the Federal Council.
Unfortunately, the Alliance's demand to delete the exemption clause for the Federal Council and for spare parts deliveries did not find a majority. It is disappointing that the SiK-S does not want to make the counter-proposal effective in two important points and thus once again unnecessarily calls into question the credibility of Switzerland and its peace policy.
For a withdrawal of the initiative to be considered, the substantial demands of the Alliance must be met. This means: no exemption clause in favour of the Federal Council and no exemptions for ammunition deliveries. Only in this way can Switzerland appear credible in international peace policy and only in this way can a withdrawal be considered.
Opinion correction-initiative.ch
