§ Article 14(untitled)

nitiative to Conduct Referendum

 1. In the Russian Federation, the initiative to conduct a referendum belongs to citizens
of the Russian Federation who are entitled to participate in a referendum.

 2. The initiative to conduct a referendum may be provided to other subjects by a federal
law.

 3. In order to initiate a referendum as it is stipulated by Clause 1 of this Article and
collect signatures of citizens of the Russian Federation in support thereof, a referendum
initiative group may be formed. Any citizen or a group of citizens of the Russian Federation who
are entitled to participate in a referendum shall have the right to form such initiative group. The
number of persons in such initiative group for conducting a referendum of the Russian
Federation is established by federal constitutional law, the number of person in the initiative
group for conducting a referendum of the subject of the Russian Federation, local referendum is
established by the law of the subject of the Russian Federation in accordance with Clause 1,
Article 36 of this Federal Law. The initiative to conduct a referendum of the subject of the
Russian Federation, local referendum may also be exercised by an election association or
another public association the statute of which provides for participation in elections and (or)
referenda and which is registered in the procedure stipulated by the federal law at a level
corresponding to the level of the referendum or a higher level no later than in one year before
the date of forming the referendum initiative group. In that case the leading body of this election
association, other public association, or the leading body of its regional branch or other
structural subdivision (corresponding to the referendum level) regardless of its composition acts
as the referendum initiative group.
(Clause 3 as amended by the Federal Law of July 21, 2005, No.93-FZ)

 4. For a referendum to be called, a referendum initiative group established in
accordance with Clause 3 of this Article shall submit signatures of referendum participants
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supporting the referendum initiative to the body established by a federal constitutional law, a
law of the subject of the Russian Federation, or by the statute of the municipal formation.