Issues that can be proposed by citizens using the initiative process at the national level

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

Article 97

The House of Representatives shall:

1. consider draft laws put forwardby the President or submitted by no less than 150 thousand citizens of theRepublic of Belarus, who are eligible to vote, to make amendments andalterations in the Constitution and give its interpretation;

2. consider draft laws, includingthe guidelines of the domestic and foreign policy of the Republic of Belarus;the military doctrine; ratification and denunciation of international treaties;the fundamental concept and principles of execution of rights, liberties andduties of its citizens; citizenship issues, the status of foreigners andpersons without citizenship; the rights of ethnic minorities: the approval ofthe budget of the republic and the account on its implementation;

the introduction of national taxesand dues; the principles of ownership; the basics of social security; theprinciples regulating labour and employment, marriage, the family, childhood,maternity, paternity, education, upbringing, culture and public health;environmental protection and the rational utilisation of natural resources;determination of the procedure for resolving issues relating to theadministrative-territorial structure of the State; local self-government; theadministration of justice and the status of judges; issues of criminalresponsibility and amnesty; declaration of war and conclusion of peace; martiallaw and a state of emergency; institution of state awards; interpretation oflaws;

3. call elections for thePresidency;

4. grant consent to the Presidentconcerning the appointment of the Prime minister;

5. consider the report of the Primeminister on the policy of the Government and approve or reject it; a second rejectionby the House of the policy of the Government shall be deemed as an expressionof non-confidence to the Government;

6. consider on the initiative of thePrime minister a call for a vote of confidence;

7. on the initiative of no less thanone-third of the full composition of the House of Representatives express anon-confidence vote to the Government; the issue of liability of the Governmentmay not be discussed in the course of the year after the approval of theProgramme of government policy;

8. accept the resignation of thePresident;

9. be entitled with a majority ofthe full composition of the House of Representatives to forward charges oftreason or of some other grave crime against the President; on the basis of thedecision of the Council of the Republic and with no less than a two-thirdsmajority of the full composition of the House take the decision to remove thePresident from office;

10. cancel the order of theChairperson of the House of Representatives. The House of Representatives maytake decisions on other issues which are determined by the Constitution.

Article 99

The right of legislative initiativeshall belong to the President, members of the House of Representatives, Councilof the Republic, Government, as well as to citizens who are eligible to vote,in a number of no less than 50,000, and is implemented in the House ofRepresentatives.

Draft laws the adoption of which mayreduce state resources, or increase expenditures may be introduced in the Houseof Representatives only with the consent of the President or to his assignmentby the Government.

The President or to his assignmentthe Government shall have the right to forward proposals in the House ofRepresentatives and Council of the Republic on the urgency of consideration ofa draft law. The House of Representatives and Council of the Republic shallconsider in the instance the latter in the course of ten days since itssubmission.

To the request of the President orto his consent the Government, the House of Representatives and Council of theRepublic shall take decisions at their sessions voting in general for the wholedraft law or a part of it, which was forwarded by the President or Governmentpreserving only those amendments which were forwarded or accepted by thePresident or Government.

Article138

Theissue of amending and supplementing the Constitution shall be considered by

thechambers of the Parliament on the initiative of the President or of no fewerthan

150,000citizens of the Republic of Belarus who are eligible to vote.