Home > 5.1 Nature of the referendum > ALBANIA - Joint Opinion on the Draft Law on the Legislative Initiative of the Citizens
 
 
 
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Paragraph 32
 

The draft law foresees a 60-day time limit for the collection of signatures (Article 14.2). The collection “is done in public places, which are designated by decision of the mayor of the respective local government unit” on request of the CEC or of the representation/representative committee if the CEC omits to make the request within 30 days from the submission of the request by the committee. If the mayor does not decide the places where the signatures should be collected within 30 days from the submission of the request, the decision is taken by the committee (Article 9). Article 12 provides for special procedures for the collection of signatures in the location of citizens with health problems (in hospitals and other health care facilities, at home), detention facilities, embassies and consulates. The draft law could be interpreted in a way that the representation/representative committee has the duty to organise the collection of the signatures in all these facilities during the full period of 60 days. This should be reconsidered. Moreover, in case 20,000 signatures are collected, the initiative group should be free to decide whether to continue the collection of signatures or present them for the verification and submission to the parliament or carry on the collection of signatures.