Initiative group for holding the republican referendum

In case an initiative to hold the republican referendum is put forward by the citizens, they form a group for holding the referendum (hereinafter referred to as the «initiative group»), which includes not less than 100 citizens, enjoying voting right, from each region and the City of Minsk on the basis of approximately equal representation.

The initiative group applies to the Central Commission with an application to register the initiative group and the issue (draft decision), which it proposes to submit to the referendum.The application is appended with the protocol of the meeting of the initiative group at which a decision has been taken to form the initiative group to put forward the initiative to hold the referendum, to approve the issue (draft decision) proposed for submission to the referendum, to elect the initiative group chairperson and coordinators for the regions and the city of Minsk, the list of participants in the meeting, signed by the chairperson and the secretary of the meeting as well as the list of the members of the initiative group who agreed to take part in the initiative group, which shall be confirmed by their own signatures the authenticity of which is to be certified by a notary.

The meeting of the initiative group is competent if it has been attended by more than half of the members of the initiative group.Decisions of the meeting are taken by the majority of votes of its participants.

The list of the initiative group shall indicate the surname, name and patronymic, date of birth, place of residence, serial number and number of the passport of the Republic of Belarus of each group member.The list of the initiative group shall specify the group chairperson and group coordinators in the regions, cities of regional subordination, city-districts in case the collecting of signatures will be in their territory.

The issue (draft decision) offered for the referendum shall be worded by the initiative group in a clear and definite manner so that it shall be possible to give an unambiguous answer to such issue.The wording of the issue (draft decision), which is offered for the referendum, may be amended with the consent of the initiative group, and the protocol of the meeting of the group confirming such consent is to be submitted.

The documents on the holding of the republican referendum submitted by the initiative group, and the issue (draft decision) offered for the referendum are submitted by the Central Commission for consideration and conclusion to the Ministry of Justice and the General Prosecutor’s Office of the Republic of Belarus, which verify the compliance of the issue (draft decision) with the legislation of the Republic of Belarus and observance of the order of formation of the initiative group.

The issue (draft decision) offered for the referendum, with regard to the conclusion of the Ministry of Justice and the General Prosecutor’s Office of the Republic of Belarus, and the composition of the initiative group is registered by the Central Commission.Registration is denied in the event of a violation of the requirements of legislation of the Republic of Belarus.An appeal against a denial to register the initiative group may be filed within a month with to the Supreme Court of the Republic of Belarus by the head of the initiative group.

Following the registration of the initiative group the Central Commission issues to it a registration certificate and a sample sheet for gathering the signatures of the citizens supporting the proposal on holding the referendum, (hereinafter – “list of signatures”) and the respective certificates to the initiative group members.