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Yanukovich inks law on referendum

Opposition tried to block it, as it was sure after the parliamentary elections the Constitution Assembly would draft changes to the Constitution for a further referendum

KIEV, November 27 (Itar-Tass) — Ukraine’s President Viktor Yanukovich signed a law on the national referendum, the official presidential site reported on Tuesday.

The law reads that Ukraine’s national referendum may be organised on approval of new versions of the Constitution, on addendums to it, on abolishment or on recognising as invalid a law on changes to the Constitution.

The law regulates that Ukraine’s president announces a national referendum at the people’s initiative supported by at least three million citizens if signatures supporting a referendum’s organisation are collected from at least two thirds of the country’s regions, where every region presents at least 100,000 signatures.

Referendum results are binding.

Ukraine’s Verkhovna Rada /parliament/ adopted a law on the national referendum on November 6. The opposition tried to block it, as it was sure after the parliamentary elections the Constitution Assembly would draft changes to the Constitution for a further referendum. Thus, the referendum may have to consider a norm, where Ukraine’s next presidential election in 2015 would be due at the parliament.

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