Home > 5.1 Nature of the referendum > SERBIA - Urgent Opinion on the Draft Law on the Referendum and the People's Initiative
 
 
 
Download file    
 
 
Paragraph 85
 

Article 58 regulates the method for collecting signatures, requesting the initiative committee to announce the beginning of the collection of signatures and providing that all places for the collection of signatures should be available to the public. This means that it is forbidden to collect signatures, for instance, door-to-door or during political party meetings, which are otherwise an efficient means for collecting signatures. Such restrictions seem excessive. Similarly, there is no legitimate aim to avoid collection of signatures after the proposal has been verified. Unless the collection of signatures is carried out by administrative bodies or election commissions, the requirements for the collection of signatures should only be limited to avoiding voter intimidation or pressure on the voters. Since the signatures are collected to present a draft law or a similar proposal to the parliament, but will not lead to a referendum, such collection of signatures has a rather low risk of voter intimidation and pressure. The Venice Commission recommends providing for less restrictive rules.