"The Constitutional Court has expressed its opinion, it has not ruled, but I think that after this opinion by the Constitutional Court, the legal issue of understanding referendums is absolved and should be adhered to," he told reporters in The Hague at the end of a two-day working visit to the Netherlands.
The Constitutional Court warned on Monday that a referendum to change the Constitution at the request of the "In the Name of the Family" Initiative, which wants the Constitution to define marriage as a heterosexual union, would have immediate legal effect if the majority voted in favour of the change, which is contrary to intentions to have parliament decide about changing the Constitution after the referendum.
"As for the referendum's question, given the existing dilemmas, differences and the fact that society is polarised as to whether this referendum is acceptable in terms of human rights, it would have been good for the Constitutional Court to have ruled if the question is appropriate or not," said the president.