The President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, signed the Law "On the All-Ukrainian Referendum" No. 1135-IX, which was adopted by the Verkhovna Rada on January 26, 2021. This was reported in the press service of the head of state.
This law was initiated by the president in order to give the people the right to independently and directly, without the participation of politicians, solve state issues. Representatives of public organizations and the academic community took part in its development, and the evaluations of the Venice Commission and the European practice of referendums were taken into account. The purpose of the president when initiating the document was to provide the society with a real instrument of direct democracy, which will work for ten years and make state decisions that correspond to the interests of Ukrainians to the greatest extent.
The signed law makes it possible to implement the provisions of the Constitution of Ukraine, which provide for the possibility of holding a referendum.
"The all-Ukrainian referendum is a form of direct democracy in Ukraine, a way of exercising power directly by the Ukrainian people, which consists in the approval by the citizens of Ukraine of decisions by voting in the cases and order established by the Constitution of Ukraine and the Law of Ukraine "On the All-Ukrainian Referendum," the document says.
According to the law, the subject of the all-Ukrainian referendum may be questions about making changes to sections I, III, XIII of the Constitution of Ukraine; general public questions; the question of changing the territory of Ukraine under the condition of preserving the territorial integrity of our state, as well as the loss of force of one or another law of Ukraine or its separate provisions.
Questions that contradict the provisions of the Constitution of Ukraine, generally recognized principles and norms of international law cannot be the subject of the all-Ukrainian referendum; questions about the abolition or limitation of constitutional rights and freedoms of a person and a citizen; issues aimed at the liquidation of the independence of Ukraine, the violation of the state sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, the creation of a national security threat. Issues of taxes, the budget, amnesty, as well as those that are under the jurisdiction of law enforcement agencies, the prosecutor's office, or the court cannot be put to a referendum.
One question may be submitted to the all-Ukrainian referendum. A referendum cannot be held simultaneously with elections.
The law provides that the decision adopted at the all-Ukrainian referendum can be changed only by means of an all-Ukrainian referendum no earlier than three years from the date of its adoption. A new referendum on issues that were previously not supported in the all-Ukrainian referendum can be held no earlier than one hour after the announcement of the results of the corresponding all-Ukrainian referendum.
The referendum will not replace the work of the Verkhovna Rada regarding the adoption of laws, but citizens will receive an instrument of direct influence on decision-making in the state. The referendum will give the people the opportunity to have a decisive say without the mediation of politicians, because of which many of them will lose their influence in society.
"Now, in practice, Ukrainians will be involved in making important decisions for the country, and the government will be forced to listen to the will of the people," Zelensky emphasized.
Depending on the question, the all-Ukrainian referendum can be appointed by the president, the Verkhovna Rada, or proclaimed by the head of state on the people's initiative.
