§ Article 114(untitled)

nitiative group for holding a republican referendum
 If citizens come forward with the initiative to hold a republican referendum, they form a
referendum group (hereinafter referred to as the initiative group) from among the persons
entitled to participate in the referendum, numbering at least 100 people, approximately equally
representing citizens from each region and the city of Minsk.
 The initiative group applies to the Central Commission with an application for registration
of the initiative group and the issue proposed by it for a referendum. Attached to the application
are the minutes of the meeting of the initiative group, at which the decision was made to form
the group, put forward the initiative to hold a referendum, the issue proposed for the
referendum, the election of the group leader and coordinators for the regions and the city of
Minsk, a list of meeting participants signed by the chairman and secretary of the meeting, as
well as a list of members of the initiative group who agreed to participate in the work of the
initiative group, which must be confirmed by their handwritten signatures, the authenticity of
which is subject to notarization.
 A meeting of the initiative group is valid if more than half of the members of the initiative
group took part in it. The decisions of the meeting are made by a majority vote of its
participants.
 In the list of the initiative group, in relation to each member of the group, the surname, first
name and patronymic (if any), date of birth, place of residence, series and number of the
passport of a citizen of the Republic of Belarus (number of the identification card of a citizen of
the Republic of Belarus) are indicated. The list of the initiative group also indicates the head of
the group and coordinators for districts, cities of regional subordination, districts in cities, if the
collection of signatures will be carried out on their territory.
 The question submitted for a republican referendum must be formulated by the initiative
group clearly and clearly so that an unambiguous answer is possible. The wording of the
question proposed for a referendum can be clarified with the consent of the initiative group,
about which the minutes of the group meeting must be submitted.
 The documents submitted by the initiative group on holding a republican referendum, and
the question proposed for the referendum, are sent by the Central Commission for conclusion
to the Ministry of Justice and the Prosecutor General's Office, which check the compliance of
the issue with the requirements of the law and compliance with the procedure for forming the
initiative group.
 The issue proposed for the republican referendum, taking into account the conclusion of
the Ministry of Justice and the Prosecutor General's Office, and the composition of the initiative
group are registered by the Central Commission. Registration is refused in case of violation of
legal requirements. The refusal to register an initiative group can be appealed within a month
to the Supreme Court of the Republic of Belarus by the head of the initiative group.
 After registration of the initiative group, the Central Commission issues it a registration
certificate and a sample sheet for collecting signatures of citizens in support of the proposal to
hold a republican referendum (hereinafter referred to as the signature sheet), and the members
of the initiative group - the corresponding certificates.

 Article 114 1 . Fund of the initiative group for holding a republican referendum
 Financing of expenses associated with the collection of signatures of citizens in support of
the proposal to hold a republican referendum and campaigning to initiate a republican
referendum by citizens is carried out from the funds of the initiative group for holding a
republican referendum (hereinafter referred to as the initiative group fund).
 The initiative group fund can be formed from the following funds:
 1) voluntary donations from members of the initiative group and other citizens of the
Republic of Belarus. The size of a citizen's donation cannot exceed 15 basic units;
 2) voluntary donations from legal entities. The size of a donation from a legal entity cannot
exceed 30 basic units.
 The maximum amount of all expenses from the initiative group fund cannot exceed 3,000
basic units.
 of Article 48 1 of this Code are not entitled to make donations to the initiative group fund .
 To form an initiative group fund, the head of the initiative group, no later than ten days
from the date of registration of the initiative group, must open a special account for holding a
republican referendum (hereinafter referred to as the special account) in a division of the open
joint-stock company Savings Bank Belarusbank. The basis for opening a special account is an
application from the head of the initiative group and a copy of the decision of the Central
Commission on registration of the initiative group.
 The head of the initiative group has the right to open only one special account. There is no
fee for bank services for opening a special account and conducting transactions on the account.
The bank does not pay interest for the use of funds in a special account. The Central Commission
sends information about the opening of a special account to the print media for publication,
and also posts on its official website on the global computer network Internet.
 The procedure for opening a special account, conducting transactions on the account, and
closing the account is determined by the Central Commission in agreement with the open joint-
stock company Savings Bank Belarusbank.
 The right to manage the funds of the initiative group fund belongs to the head of the
initiative group.
 The head of the initiative group has the right to appoint a representative of the initiative
group on financial issues (hereinafter referred to as the representative on financial issues).
Registration of a representative on financial issues is carried out by the Central Commission
based on an application from the head of the initiative group. The application shall indicate the
surname, first name and patronymic (if any), date of birth, place of residence of the
representative on financial matters, series, number and date of issue of the passport of a citizen
of the Republic of Belarus (number and date of issue of the identification card of a citizen of
the Republic of Belarus). The Central Commission, within three days from the date of receipt of
the application, registers the representative on financial issues and issues him a certificate.
 The financial representative has the right to open a special account, manage the funds in
this account, and submit reports on the receipt and expenditure of funds. The head of the
initiative group has the right to recall the representative on financial issues at any time by
reporting this to the Central Commission, as well as to the bank division in which the special
account is opened.
 Funds from the initiative group fund can be used to pay for expenses and services related
to the collection of signatures of citizens, including wages and other payments in accordance
with the law to members of the initiative group for collecting signatures of citizens in support
of the proposal to hold a republican referendum, as well as for payment other expenses directly
related to the referendum campaign, in the manner established by the Central Commission.
 The bank division in which the special account is opened submits weekly information to the
Central Commission on the receipt and expenditure of funds in the special account. The Central
Commission, within two days after receiving the information, sends it to the print media for
publication, and also posts on its official website on the global computer network Internet
information about the total amount of funds received by the initiative group fund and the total
amount of funds spent.
 Control over the receipt and expenditure of funds from the initiative group fund is carried
out by the Central Commission and financial authorities.
 Making donations to the initiative group fund, returning donations and terminating banking
operations on a special account are carried out in relation to the requirements provided for in
parts eight, eleven, nineteen and twentieth of Article 48 1 of this Code .
 The head of the initiative group is obliged to submit financial reports on the expenditure of
funds from the initiative group fund to the Central Commission with the following frequency:
 first report – 20 days after registration of the initiative group;
 the second report – no later than five days from the end of the period for collecting citizens’
signatures;
 third report – 20 days after the referendum was called;
 final report – no later than five days from the day of voting on the referendum.
 The report is accompanied by primary financial documents confirming the receipt, return
and expenditure of funds from the initiative group fund, certificates of remaining funds and (or)
closure of a special account. If the Central Commission rejects the proposal to hold a
referendum, the head of the initiative group submits a financial report to the Central
Commission no later than five days from the date the Central Commission made a decision to
reject the proposal to hold a referendum.
 If the Central Commission rejects the proposal to hold a referendum, the Central
Commission informs the bank division in writing about this, which stops all operations on the
special account.