Voters resoundingly defeat proposal to slash spending

Swiss voters pledged resounding support to their citizen army on Sunday, throwing out a left-of-center attempt to slash military spending in the neutral Alpine nation. Some 1.1 million voters, or 62 percent, rejected the proposal to cut military spending and use the funds for social programs. Only 722,797 people, or nearly 38 percent, voted in favor. Barbara Haering, a Socialist member of Parliament and president of the group that proposed the military cut, said she was disappointed by the result but claimed the initiative “had raised public awareness” about the cost of the military. The Swiss have long prided themselves on their army, which requires part-time service from each Swiss man, but left-wing and humanitarian critics say too much is spent on the military. The Socialist Party maintains that the end of the Cold War eliminated the need for large-scale forces with fighter planes, tanks and artillery. Its proposal would have cut about $1 billion from the annual defense budget, putting it at $1.74 billion by 2010.