Tagline
Search

Who can initiate an optional referendum at the national level?

Belarus

Belarus

Answer
  • President
  • Legislative majority
  • Registered electors
Source

ELECTORAL CODE OF THE REPUBLIC OF BELARUS (with amendments in 2011)

http://eudo-citizenship.eu/NationalElectoralLawsDB/docs/Belarus%20Electoral%20Code%20consolidated_am_2011_eng.pdf

ElectoralCode

Article117. Decision on Appointment of the Referendum

ThePresident of the Republic of Belarus shall take a decision to appoint arepublican referendum on his own initiative or after submission, in accordancewith this Code, of proposals by the Chambers of the National Assembly of theRepublic of Belarus or the citizens for his consideration.

Thedecree of the President of the Republic of Belarus on appointment of thereferendum shall, as a rule, include:

•  the date of the referendum;

•  the legal force of the decision adopted bythe referendum;

•  the wording of the question (questions) putto the referendum;

•  other organisational measures required tohold the referendum.

Article113.  Right of Initiative for Holding theRepublican Referendum

Theright of initiative for holding the republican referendum shall be vested inthe President of the Republic of Belarus, the Chamber of Representatives andthe Council of the Republic, and the citizens of the Republic of Belarus.

Theinitiative of the Chamber of Representatives and the Council of the Republicfor holding a republican referendum shall be expressed in the form of aproposal, which shall be adopted at the separate sittings of these bodies bythe majority of the total number of members of each of the chambers andsubmitted to the President of the Republic of Belarus. 

Comment

National referenda shall be called onthe initiative of the President of the Republic of Belarus, as well as on theinitiative of the Council of the Republic or House of Representatives, which istaken at their separate sittings by a majority of the full number of deputiesof each house, or on the initiative of no fewer than 450,000 citizens eligibleto vote, including no fewer than 30,000 citizens from each of the regions(oblasts) and city of Minsk. 

Close tooltip