What happens when there is a valid alternative proposal?

Acounter-proposal may be made if the initiative is in the form of a specificdraft for a partial revision of the constitution.

FEDERAL CONSTITUTION OF THE SWISSCONFEDERATION

(Adopted1999; last amended 2013)

http://?www.?admin.?ch/?ch/?e/?rs/?c101.?html

Title 4: The People and the Cantons

Chapter 2: Initiative and Referendum

Art. 139b Procedure applicable to an initiative and counter-proposal

(1) The People vote on the initiative and thecounter-proposal at the same time.

(2) The People may vote in favour of bothproposals. In response to the third question, they may indicate the proposalthat they prefer if both are accepted.

(3) If in response to the third question oneproposal to amend the Constitution receives more votes from the People and theother more votes from the Cantons, the proposal that comes into force is thatwhich achieves the higher sum if the percentage of votes of the People and thepercentage of votes of the Cantons in the third question are added together.

FEDERAL ACT ONPARLIAMENT

(Adopted 2002; last amended 2011)

http://?www.?admin.?ch/?ch/?e/?rs/?c171_?10.?html

Chapter 3:Procedure for Popular Initiatives

Section 2: PopularInitiative for the Partial Revision of the Federal Constitution

b. Popular Initiative in the Form of aDraft Proposal

Art. 101 Counter-proposal

(1) The Federal Assembly may submit its own counter-proposal onthe same constitutional issue to the vote of the people and the Cantons at thesame time as the popular initiative.

(2) The federal decree on the counter-proposal of the FederalAssembly shall be debated in each Council prior to the Assembly deciding on thevoting recommendation in the federal decree on the popular initiative.

(3) The final vote on the federal decree on the counter-proposalshall take place no more than eight days before the end of the session whichprecedes the expiry of the deadline for dealing with the popular initiative. Ifthe federal decree is rejected by either Council in the final vote, theconciliation committee shall submit a proposal on the voting recommendation inthe federal decree on the popular initiative. A counter-proposal may no longerbe put forward.