Swiss voters have overwhelmingly rejected a proposal to abolish their armed forces, considered by many in the neutral, alpine nation as a vital part of their lives.
The referendum proposal was put forward by the Switzerland Without An Army group, which argued the country does not face any military threat and shelving the largely reservist-based army would not diminish security.
Some 78 per cent of Swiss voters disagreed, also rejecting a second initiative by the group to establish a voluntary civilian peace corps aimed at defusing violence at home and abroad.
Expressing disappointment at the results, the group nevertheless said it had expected defeat, blaming the current climate of insecurity and disarray in both Switzerland and around the world.
Twelve years ago, a similar referendum on scrapping the armed forces mustered 36 per cent support among voters and campaigners said yesterday they would continue their efforts.
Supporters of the referendum proposal had argued that the armed forces were an outdated institution and a "man's world where blind obedience and contempt of women still rules".
They had also questioned the nine billion Swiss francs (€6.4 billion) it costs to maintain the armed forces every year, arguing the resources could be better spent on non-military initiatives.