The city announced this on Monday. According to the initiative committee, it involves around 1,600 signatures.
The city announced that a registered mail shipment with signed signature sheets was delivered to the city office on July 16. However, the shipment was never received by the internal department that is responsible for checking the signatures.
The loss was announced internally last week after the initiative committee inquired about the status of the signature check. The investigations have so far been unsuccessful.
The city said criminal conduct could not be ruled out, and that charges against unknown persons were also being considered.
What will happen next is unclear. “The city office is currently examining the legal options for resolving the situation,” the communiqué states. “Everything will be done to limit the damage.”
In Bern, 5,000 valid signatures are needed for a municipal initiative to come into being. The initiative from the red-green camp was launched on May 1st; the regular deadline for collecting signatures ends on November 1st.
