Issues that can be proposed by citizens using the initiative process at the national level

Armenia, Constitution 2015, accessed 5 September 2022

Article 109. Legislative Initiative

1. A Deputy, a faction of the National Assembly and the Government shall have the right to legislative initiative.

2. The author of a legislative initiative may, at any time, recall the draft law submitted thereby.

3. If, according to the opinion of the Government, a draft law significantly reduces the revenues of the State Budget or increases state expenditures, then, upon the request of the Government, this law may be adopted by majority of votes of the total number of Deputies.

4. A draft law deemed to be urgent upon the decision of the Government shall be either adopted or rejected within a period of two months.

5. Draft laws for which the Government has the exclusive right to legislative initiative may be put to vote only with the corrections acceptable for the Government.

6. At least fifty thousand citizens having the right of suffrage shall be entitled to propose, upon popular initiative, a draft law to the National Assembly.

Article 202. Adoption of and Amendment to the Constitution

1. The Constitution and amendments to Chapters 1-3, 7, 10 and 15 of the Constitution, as well as to Article 88, to the first sentence of part 3 of Article 89, to part 1 of Article 90, to part 2 of Article 103, to Articles 108, 115, 119-120, 123-125, 146, 149 and 155, and to part 4 of Article 200 of the Constitution shall be adopted only through a referendum. At least one third of the total number of Deputies, the Government or two hundred thousand citizens having the right of suffrage shall have the right to the initiative of adopting or amending the Constitution. The National Assembly shall adopt the decision on putting the draft to referendum by at least two thirds of votes of the total number of Deputies.

2. Except for the Articles specified in part 1 of this Article, amendments to other Articles of the Constitution shall be adopted by the National Assembly, by at least two thirds of votes of the total number of Deputies. At least one fourth of the total number of Deputies, the Government or one hundred fifty thousand citizens having the right of suffrage shall have the right to corresponding initiative.

3. In case the National Assembly does not adopt the draft of the amendments to the Constitution provided for in part 2 of this Article, it may be put to referendum upon the decision adopted by at least three fifths of votes of the total number of Deputies.

Article 204. Referendum on the Draft Law Submitted Upon Popular Initiative

1. If the National Assembly rejects the adoption of the draft law submitted under the procedure prescribed by part 6 of Article 109 of the Constitution, then the draft shall be put to referendum where an additional three hundred thousand citizens having the right of suffrage join the initiative of adopting the draft law, within a period of sixty days following the rejection, and where the Constitutional Court recognizes the given draft as complying with the Constitution. The Central Electoral Commission shall approve the validity of the signatures of the participants of the popular initiative. […]