Trofimov E.A. Problematic and praxeological aspects of the Russian citizens in exercising their right to a referendum

Abstract: This article examines the institution of referendum in the Russian Federation, which is one of the forms of exercising democracy and is an indicator of the political regime. The research includes the assessment of the current state of the institution of the federal and regional referendums within the framework of the following positions: assessment of the state of the current Russian legislation on referendum; requirements for its initiation and gathering of signatures in support of the referendum; assessment of the participation of political institutions, including branches of government, in realization of the institution of referendum; list of questions raised at a referendum. The referendum institution is being reviewed from the problematic and praxeological perspective. The author reveals the mechanisms for limiting the rights of the Russian citizens at a referendum. On the federal level, they are: defects in the Russian legislation; the requirements of creating regional groups to conduct a referendum, their numbers, and period of their creation; the requirement to gather signatures; responsibility of the federal president to introduce the documents for the referendum into the Constitutional Court of Russia even if there is already a decision on constitutionality of the questions presented at the referendum. On the regional level, it is the ability of the federal government to form mitigation committees on the issue of holding a referendum.

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