Legal provisions for optional referendums at national level

Federal law “On Basic Guarantees of Electoral Rights and the Right of Citizens of the Russian Federation to Participate in a Referendum” (as amended on September 27, December 24, 2002; June 23, July 4, 2003)

Article 12. Referendum Issues

1. Issues to be submitted to a referendum of the Russian Federation and issues which are not to be submitted to a referendum of the Russian Federation shall be specified by a federal constitutional law.

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8. The following issues questions shall not be submitted to a referendum of a subject of the Russian Federation or a local referendum:

а) early termination, prolongation, suspension of powers of bodies of state power of the subject of the Russian Federation or bodies of local self-government; and holding of early elections to elections of bodies of state power of the subject of the Russian Federation, bodies of local self-government or postponement of the said elections;

b) personal membership of bodies of state power of the subject of the Russian Federation and bodies of local self-government;

c) election of deputies or officials; approval or appointment or removal of officials; consent to appointment or removal of such officials;

d) adoption or amendment of an existing budget; fulfilment or modification of financial commitments of the subject of the Russian Federation or the municipality;

e) adoption of extraordinary and urgent measures to ensure health and security of the population.

9. No restrictions shall be established for issues to be submitted to a referendum other than those set forth in this article.

Any issue can be submitted to referendum except those clearly excluded in Article 12.8 of the Federal Law “On Basic Guarantees of Electoral Rights and the Right of Citizens of the Russian Federation to Participate in a Referendum”.