Democracy Decision by the mayor of Kiesen has no consequences

A statement made by the mayor of Kiesen in the run-up to a municipal assembly may have been out of place, but it did not have a decisive influence on the free decision-making process. This is the conclusion reached by District Governor Ladina Kirchen.

She dismissed an appeal, as she announced on Wednesday. The results of the municipal assembly of April 25, 2024 therefore remain valid. The people had approved a planning loan for the village and school development with a large majority.

The complainants were disturbed by a statement made by the mayor at the information event in March. "Everyone should come to the vote on April 25 and vote yes. All those who are against it should stay at home and watch TV," the mayor had said.

The governor deemed this statement to be an inadmissible official intervention. However, this did not have a decisive influence on the free formation of opinion and the undistorted casting of votes.

The voter turnout of 27.2 percent was considerable. It is doubtful that significantly more citizens would have turned up without the controversial statement. In addition, the opponents of the bill were able to make themselves heard in the media.

In the final vote, there was a difference of 109 votes out of 187 eligible voters. Such a clear result suggests that the majority of the population is likely to have a favorable attitude towards the "village and school development" project.

The loan of CHF 150,000 will now be used to draw up an amendment to the zoning plan and building regulations. This is intended to pave the way for further village and school development.

SDA