How many signatures are required to start the formal decision making stage of a direct democracy mechanism?
Venezuela
- Referendum - proportion of the electorate
- Recall - proportion of the electorate
Constitution ofVenezuela (1999)
http://venezuelanalysis.com/constitution/
Article 71: Matters of specialnational transcendence may be referred to a consultative referendum, on the initiativeof the President of the Republic, taken at a meeting of the Cabinet; byresolution of the National Assembly, passed by a majority vote; or at therequest of a number of voters constituting at least 10% of all votersregistered on the national, civil and electoral registry.
Matters of special state, municipal and parishtranscendence may also be referred to a consultative referendum. The initiativeshall be taken by the Parish Board, the Municipal Council and to theLegislative Council, by the vote of two third of its members; by the Mayor andthe Governor or by a number of voters constituting at least 10% of the totalnumber of voters registered in the pertinent circumscription.
Article 72: All magistrates and other officesfilled by popular vote are subject to revocation.
Once half of the term of office to which an official hasbeen elected has elapsed, a number of voters constituting at least 20% of thevoters registered in the pertinent circumscription may extend a petition forthe calling of a referendum to revoke such official's mandate.
When a number of voters equal to or greater than thenumber of those who elected the official vote in favor of revocation, providedthat a number of voters equal to or greater than 25% of the total number of registeredvoters* have voted in the revocation election, the official's mandate shall bedeemed revoked, and immediate action shall be taken to fill the permanentvacancy in accordance with the provided for in this Constitution and by law.
The revocation of the mandate for the collegiate bodiesshall be performed in accordance with the law. During the term to which theofficial was elected, only one petition to recall may be filed.
Article 73: Bills under discussion by theNational Assembly shall be submitted to a referendum when at least two-thirdsof the members of the Assembly so decide. If the referendum ends in anaffirmative vote of approval, provided that the 25% of the voters registeredbefore the Civil and Electoral Registry have concurred to the election, thebill conceded shall be enacted into law.
Any international agreement, convention or treaty whichmight compromise the national sovereignty or transfer authority tosupranational organs, may be submitted to a referendum on the initiative of thePresident of the Republic, taken at a meeting of the Cabinet by a two-thirdsvote of the members of the Assembly or by 15% of the voters registered on thecivil and electoral registry.
Article 74: Statutes whose abrogation arerequested on the initiative of a number of voters constituting at least 10% ofthe voters registered in the civil and electoral registry, or by the Presidentof the Republic taken at a meeting of the Cabinet, shall be submitted to areferendum for its abrogation in whole or in part.
Decrees with the force of law issued by the President ofthe Republic, making use of the authority prescribed under article 236, section8 of this Constitution, may also be submitted to an abrogatory referendum, whenit is requested by a number of voters constituting at least 5% of the totalnumber of voters registered in the civil and electoral registry. In order forthe abrogatory referendum to be valid, a number of voters constituting at least40% of the total number of voters registered in the civil and electoralregistry shall be essential.
It shall not be possible to submit budget laws to anabrogatory referendum, neither those establishing or modifying taxes, relatingto public credit, to amnesty, the protection, guaranteeing and developing humanrights, nor those which ratify international treaties.
There shall not be more than one abrogatory referendum onthe same matter during the same constitutional term.
Resolution 030925-465on Recall regulations (Resoluci?n 030925-465; Normas para Regular los Procesosde Referendos Revocatorios de Mandatos de Cargos de Elecci?n Popular; 25 deseptiembre de 2003).
ART?CULO 13. Una vez transcurrida la mitad del per?odo para el cual fue elegidopopularmente el funcionario, podr?n solicitar la convocatoria de referendorevocatorio de su mandato un n?mero no menor del veinte por ciento (20%) de loselectores inscritos en el registro electoral para el momento de la solicitud,en la correspondiente circunscripci?n electoral, de conformidad con lodispuesto en el art?culo 72 de la Constitución de la República Bolivariana deVenezuela.
