The Verkhovna Rada has adopted at the first reading the presidential bill on democracy through an all-Ukrainian referendum. Corresponding bill No. 3612 was backed by 252 deputies.
According to the bill, an all-Ukrainian referendum on a popular initiative is announced at the request of at least 3 million Ukrainian citizens with the right to vote. The president announces the referendum by his decree.
The subject of an all-Ukrainian referendum may be the approval of the law on amendments to sections I, III, XIII [Basics; Elections; Referendum; Amendments to the Constitution of Ukraine] of the Constitution of Ukraine, of national importance, on changing the territory of Ukraine, on the loss of force of the law of Ukraine or its separate provisions.
The bill stipulates that a referendum should not be held on issues contrary to the Constitution of Ukraine or universally recognized principles and norms of international law.
Also, questions aimed at eliminating the independence of Ukraine, violating state sovereignty and territorial integrity, creating a threat to national security, and fomenting interethnic, racial, religious hatred cannot be the subject of an all-Ukrainian referendum.
Questions regarding bills on taxes, budgets, amnesties, as well as issues which, according to the Constitution of Ukraine and the law, are under the jurisdiction of law enforcement bodies, the prosecutor’s office or the court, cannot be submitted to an All-Ukrainian referendum. The bill proposes to abandon the consultative referendum.
Only one question can be submitted to an all-Ukrainian referendum.
The draft law expands the range of subjects of the referendum process, which are registered with the Central Election Commission (CEC) as supporters or opponents of the All-Ukrainian referendum. Such subjects can be both political parties and public organizations.
A key innovation of the bill is the possibility of introducing electronic procedures for organizing and conducting an all-Ukrainian referendum, including electronic voting. However, the bill stipulates that issues of electronic procedures in the process of an all-Ukrainian referendum will be implemented in the manner determined by a separate law.
To ensure the organization and conduct of an all-Ukrainian referendum, the bill provides for the creation of an automated information-analytical system to ensure electronic voting. The rules on the introduction of electronic voting procedures should come into force at the beginning of the work of the automated information-analytical system to ensure electronic voting after the adoption of the relevant decision by the Central Election Commission and its publication in the Holos Ukrainy newspaper as well as on the official website of the CEC.
