Legal provisions for direct democracy at the local level

Constitution (December 12, 1993)

CHAPTER 8. LOCAL SELF-GOVERNMENT

Article 130

1. Local self-government in the Russian Federation shall ensure the independent solution by the population of the issues of local importance, of possession, use and disposal of municipal property.

2. Local self-government shall be exercised by citizens through a referendum, election, other forms of direct expression of the will of the people, through elected and other bodies of local self-government.

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 14. Initiative to hold referendum

3. In order to initiate a referendum and collect signatures of citizens of the Russian Federation in support thereof, a referendum initiative group may be formed. Any citizen or a group of citizens of the Russian Federation who are entitled to participate in a referendum shall have the right to form such initiative group.The initiative to hold a referendum may also be exercised by an electoral association or another public association the charter of which provides for participation in elections and/or referendums and which is registered in the procedure prescribed by the federal law at a level corresponding to the level of the referendum or a higher level no later than one year before the date of forming the referendum initiative group. The number of members of an initiative group for a referendum of the Russian Federation shall be set by a federal constitutional law; the number of members of the initiative group for a referendum of a subject of the Russian Federation or a local referendum shall be set in accordance with this Federal Law, law of the subject of the Russian Federation, the charter of the municipality.