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Article 114
 

Initiative Group for Holding the Republican Referendum

 

In case an initiative to hold the republican referendum is put forth by the citizens, they shall form a group for holding the referendum (hereinafter referred to as the "initiative group"), which shall include not less than 100 citizens, enjoying suffrage, from each Oblast and the City of Minsk on the basis of approximately equal representation.

 

The initiative group shall lodge with the Central Commission an application to register the initiative group and the question (draft decision), which it proposes to submit to the referendum. The application shall be appended with the minutes of the meeting held by the initiative group, which took a decision to form the initiative group, to put forth the initiative to hold the referendum, to approve the question (draft decision) proposed for submission to the referendum, to elect the initiative group Chairman and co-ordinators for the Oblasts and the City of Minsk, the list of participants in the meeting signed by the chairman 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 with the authenticity of the signatures subject to notary certification.

 

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

 

The list of the initiative group shall state each group member's surname, name and patronymic name, the date of birth, the place of residence, the serial number and number of his passport or the requisites of a certificate, which substitutes the passport. The initiative group shall hold a meeting, which shall elect the group chairman and group co-ordinators for the Oblasts and the City of Minsk out of the group members.

 

The question (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 question. The wording of the question (draft decision), which is offered for the referendum, may be amended only with the consent of the initiative group, and the minutes of the meeting of the group, confirming such consent, shall be submitted.

 

The documents pertaining to the holding of the republican referendum, submitted by the initiative group, and the question (draft decision) offered for the referendum shall be submitted by the Central Commission for consideration and conclusion to the Ministry of Justice and the Prosecution Department of the Republic of Belarus, which shall verify the compliance of the question (draft decision) with the legislation of the Republic of Belarus and observance of the procedure of formation of the initiative group.

 

The question (draft decision) offered for the referendum, taking into account the conclusion by the Ministry of Justice and the Prosecution Department of the Republic of Belarus, and the composition of the initiative group shall be registered by the Central Commission. Registration shall be refused in the event of a violation of legislation requirements. An appeal against a refusal to register the initiative group may be filed within a month with the Supreme Court of the Republic of Belarus (the appeal must be signed by the majority of the members of the initiative group).

 

Following the registration of the initiative group, the Central Commission shall issue to it a registration certificate and a sample sheet for collection of the signatures of the citizens, supporting the holding of the referendum, (hereinafter referred to as the "list of signatures") and the respective certificates to the initiative group members.

 

The campaign to initiate the republican referendum by the citizens and to collect the signatures of the citizens shall be subsidised at the expense of the funds of the initiative group, which shall establish a bank account for this purpose. The initiative group may use voluntary donations by organisations (except for the state ones), political parties, other public associations, labour collectives and citizens of the Republic of Belarus. The Central Commission shall supervise the receipt and expenditure of these funds.

 

It shall not be allowed to make use of any funds originating from foreign states, organisations, enterprises, foreign citizens and international organisations as well as from enterprises of the Republic of Belarus with foreign investments for the preparation and holding of the referendum.