Who administers direct democracy mechanisms at the national level?
Belarus
ELECTORAL CODE OF THE REPUBLIC OF BELARUS (with amendments in 2011)
ElectoralCode of Republic of Belarus
Article26. The Central Commission
TheCentral Commission shall be a state authority organising, within its powers,preparations for and conduct of elections of the President of the Republic ofBelarus, deputies of the Chamber of Representatives, members of the Council ofthe Republic, deputies of local Councils of deputies, and republican referendums. The Central Commission shall decide onissues related to the organisation of recall of deputies of the Chamber ofRepresentatives and members of the Council of the Republic.
The CentralCommission shall manage the system of electoral commissions and commissions onthe referendum that operate during the period of preparation and holding ofelections and republican referendums.
TheCentral Commission shall be a permanent working body, shall have the status ofthe legal entity and a seal depicting the State Emblem of the Republic ofBelarus as well as its own name and a bank account.
Article33. Powers of the Central Commission
TheCentral Commission, within its competence, shall:
1)organise preparation and holding of elections of the President of the Republicof Belarus, deputies of the Chamber of Representatives and members of theCouncil of the Republic, deputies of local Councils of Deputies, and of republican referendums;
2)exercise in the entire territory of the Republic of Belarus control overexecution of the legislation of the Republic of Belarus on elections,referendum and recall of deputies and members of the Council of the Republic;
3)provide clarifications regarding the legislation of the Republic of Belarus onelections, referendums, recall of deputies and members of the Council of theRepublic for the purpose of its uniform implementation;
4)address legal entities possessing the right of legislative initiative withproposals on interpretation of this Code and other legislative acts of theRepublic of Belarus on elections, referendum and recall of deputies and membersof the Council of the Republic as required;
5)direct activities of electoral commissions, commissions on the referendum, commissionson the holding of voting for recall of deputies, hear their information,provide to these commissions methodological, organisational and technicalsupport;
6)when required, decide in essence issues pertaining to the competence of a lowercommission;
7)form electoral districts for elections of deputies of the Chamber ofRepresentatives and establish the average number of electors per electoral district in theRepublic of Belarus;
8)decide on issues concerning the procedure of participation of citizens of theRepublic of Belarus who stay outside the Republic of Belarus in elections of the President of the Republic ofBelarus, deputies of the Chamber ofRepresentatives and the republican referendum as well as on the procedure offormation of electoral precincts; upon recommendation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republicof Belarus take decisions on assignment of the polling stations formedoutside the Republic of Belarus to theterritorial administrative units or electoral districts in the territory of theRepublic of Belarus;
9)make conclusions on the legal qualification of nomination of candidates formembership in the Council of the Republic, register candidates nominated formembership in the Council of the Republic, summarise the results of elections of members of the Council of theRepublic, register the elected members of the Council of the Republic andpublish in press their list as well as convenethe first post-election session of the Council of the Republic;
10)register: initiative groups of citizens for nomination of candidates forPresident of the Republic of Belarus; candidates for President of the Republicof Belarus and their proxies and issueto them the respective certificates; the initiative group of citizens on theholding of the republican referendum and the issues proposed by it for therepublican referendum; the initiative group of citizens for the collection ofsignatures in support of proposals on initiation of the issue of recall of adeputy of the Chamber of Representatives;
Article38. Assistance to Commissions in Exercising their Powers
Statebodies, public associations, organisations and official persons shall beobliged to render assistance to commissions in exercise by them of their powersand submit data and materials required for their work.
Thecommissions shall have the right to address, on issues connected with thepreparation and holding of elections, referendum or recall of a deputy, tostate bodies, public associations, heads of enterprises, institutions,organisations and other official persons who shall be obliged to consider theissue addressed and give an answer to the commission not later than within athree-day period.
