Swiss could head towards popular vote on US F-35 fighter jets purchase
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The left-wing "Stop-F-35" coalition delivers the 100,000 signatures required by Switzerland's direct democracy system to put any issue to a vote.
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F-35 fighter jet (Archive)
A Swiss alliance seeking to prevent the purchase of US-built fighter jets delivered enough signatures to authorities to force a public vote on the issue.
The left-wing "Stop-F-35" coalition delivered the 100,000 signatures required by Switzerland's direct democracy system to put any issue to a vote.
Once the signatures have been verified, the government must set a date for a popular vote.
"This initiative is only targeting the type of plane," the alliance stressed in a statement, adding that if Switzerland chooses another fighter jet, "the initiative will be withdrawn."
The Swiss government agreed to purchase 36 F-35A fighter jets from Lockheed Martin in June of last year.
The purchase came after the military received narrow referendum approval in September 2020 to spend $6.3 billion on a new fleet.
The F-35A combat aircraft, which is already in use by the US Air Force and several European countries, was chosen over the Airbus Eurofighter, Boeing's F/A-18 Super Hornet, and Dassault's Rafale.
The government claimed that the plane was the best, but two Swiss parliamentary committees launched an investigation into why the model was chosen after a series of technical issues with the plane were reported in the United States.
They also questioned the high cost of the planes.
Read more: F-35 defects put Israeli air force in dilemma: Israeli media
But despite the concerns, the Swiss government exerted strained efforts to complete the purchase before March 2023, rather than waiting for a possible public vote on the issue.
The "Stop-F-35" coalition was formed in an attempt to force a new popular vote on the issue.
"The government and parliament must now do everything possible to enable a popular vote and an urgent and necessary public debate about the largest military equipment contract in Swiss history," the alliance said on its website.
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