ZURICH - Activists have withdrawn their campaign to stop Switzerland from buying 36 Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II fighter jets after the government signed a $5.5 billion procurement deal without waiting for a referendum.
Switzerland chose the F-35 last year as its next-generation fighter jet, angering opponents who said they would ensure a referendum to overturn what they called an unnecessary "Ferrari" option.
Parliament approved the deal last week, and a contract was signed on Monday even as opponents were gathering signatures to force a referendum under the Swiss system of direct democracy.
"The Alliance against the F-35 will not lend a hand for a pseudo-referendum in which the electorate cannot decide on the actual purchase decision," the group said on Tuesday.
"A vote after the contract has been signed is nothing but a democratic farce. For this reason, the Alliance against the F-35 will withdraw its popular initiative, but remains convinced that the F-35 is a bad purchase and a billion-dollar risk for Switzerland."