WHAT ARE
WE FOR, WHAT DO WE DO?
We campaign for democratic
procedures such as citizens' initiative,
issue-ballot, veto-referendum, and recall in Great Britain and Northern
Ireland. To achieve reform like this will need a successful
country-wide campaign which brings strong public pressure for change.
We need to inform people from different backgrounds about how the
citizens' law-proposal works in practice, taking examples from other
countries, and persuade many people to become active supporters. I&R ~ GB with
over ten years' experience puts forward proposals,
provides campaign resources, offers to provide speakers, organises
workshops and conferences. We need volunteers and partners for campaign
work, research, management, office, international liaison and ICT.
CAMPAIGN AIMS AND
PRINCIPLES are described further on the linked page
-->
DEFINITIONS,
MAJOR
TERMS
Initiative
Referendum
Citizens'
Direct Democracy
The Initiative, also known
as Citizens' Initiative
With the
"initiative" a citizen
or group has the right to put forward a proposal to introduce or change
law. In order that a proposal will be put to the electorate (in a
"referendum" or "ballot") an agreed number of endorsements
("signatures") must be collected and validated.
Referendum
If the required
number of
endorsements is obtained, there are two ways to proceed:
1) The proposal is put to the electorate
in a referendum. If a majority
of the electorate votes for
the proposal then it becomes law.
2) The proposal is first
presented to parliament or local council,
which must debate it. Parliament or council may adopt the proposal and
pass it as law. Proposals which are rejected must be put to the
electorate in a referendum. If a majority of the electorate votes for
the proposal then it becomes law.
Citizens' Direct Democracy
Definition of citizens’ direct democracy
(1)
Revised July 2008
Comments again invited.
We define citizens’ direct
democracy CDD to include those forms of
governance in which the electorate decides on issues, matters of public
concern, in addition to choosing among candidates for council or
parliament (indirect or "representative" democracy). This form of
democracy CDD is often referred to as "the initiative and referendum".
Political power in CDD is
exercised by “The People” although parliament
and government continue to operate as well.
The term “citizens’ direct
democracy” refers to forms of democratic
decision-making which can be initiated by an agreed number of citizens
and which can lead to a decision by ballot or vote of the whole
electorate. In this context "ballot" means the same as binding
referendum or plebiscite. Thus citizens can identify, select and
prioritise
public issues, stipulate the wording of proposals and put proposals to
the whole electorate of their state, city, town, village or other
political unit. Examples of such procedures are:
-- the citizens’ law-proposal
(initiative) leading to ballot,
-- the veto referendum,
-- the constitutional
referendum and
-- the recall-initiative.
------------------------
1. The term "direct
democracy" has been applied (sometimes
wrongly) to a range of conditions, systems and procedures in governance
and public constitution. We try to achieve precision by using the term
"citizens’ direct democracy".
