Legal provisions for direct democracy at the regional level

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 12. Referendum Questions

1. Questions to be submitted to a referendum of the Russian Federation and questions which are not to be submitted to a referendum of the Russian Federation shall be specified by a federal constitutional law.

2. Questions may be submitted to a referendum of a subject of the Russian Federation only if they are within the jurisdiction of the subject of the Russian Federation, or within joint jurisdiction of the Russian Federation and subjects of the Russian Federation, provided such issues questions are not regulated by the Constitution of the Russian Federation or a federal law.

Constitution (December 12, 1993)

Article 5

1. The Russian Federation consists of Republics, territories, regions,cities of federal importance, an autonomous region and autonomous areas - equal subjects of the Russian Federation.

By 'subjects' the law means the regions of Russia (see Article 5 of the Constitution)