Don't be pedantic Cashboy. What he said was that you can't vote for a law that isn't in accordance with the Swiss constitution. Of course you can change the constitution but you can't dillute it through the backdoor of individual laws.

It was a serious question; who changes the constitution; is it the elected MPs at a vote in parliament?

Oh sorry, not it's the electorate. Meaning all changes of constitution is a mandatory vote.

No, constitutional changes can be drafted by parliament but must be approved by popular vote.

and then there is Wangen 2007. They local government didn't allow a minaret to be built in the town. There were over 70 written complaints by people who were against having the minaret built. The case was taken to a Federal level. The Bundesgericht decided Wangen was wrong in not allowing religious freedom and now there's a minaret standing.

This was the beginning of the minaret initiative.

Which is strange. Not allowing a minaret on principle may underlie religious freedom, but not allowing it in a particular location for reasons of town planning and zoning is a matter for local authorities - as long as they can demonstate that their rejection is not religiously motivated.

Or otherwise I could declare myself a MacDonaldist and take the local authorities to the supreme court for rejecting a Maconalds restaurant planning permission in a given location?

Actually, McDonalds took more than three years to get planning permission in Zermatt for their fast food outlet there; becuase they argued for their corporate logos etc and the Comune said the building had to be in keeping with the village and restricted the size of the logos.

It seems the minaret vote has stolen all the attention from the fact that the Swiss people also voted yesterday, by a rather large margin, to continue exporting weapons.
http://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/news_dig...rss=true&ty=st

In light of the results of these two votes, the quote from PegA seems rather charming and almost from a bygone era. Is this the Switzerland we all thought we knew?

Let me think: 30% xenophobic SVP supporters? Arms producing? Yes, this is the Switzerland I know. Where is the news?

Yesterday I voted against the banning of minarets and for the banning of weapons. My husband's vote was opposite.

Guess which one of us was born and raised in the US and the other born and raised in a tiny village in Switzerland?

Let me think: 30%+ xenophobic in the population? Major arms producer? I'd say that is a tough guess to make

(P.S: My country would qualify as well )

Yes, democracy is only valid when either:

• The political and academic elite rules
  or:
• The people vote what the elite wants

Is this so hard to understand?

Look at the Democratic Peoples Republic of North Korea. This is democracy they way it should be!

When do you learn that only the elite knows what the people wants?

Well done.

Now be a good proletarian, shut yer gob and get back to work.

'I have always thought the Swiss system of uber-democracy is a good thing, but every now and then I am thinking that there *surely* are times when this is infringing on the rights or freedom of others.'

if there is a majority, there must be a minority. that's the rules of the game.
'some days you get the bear and some days the bear gets you'