In St. Petersburg, the requirements for referendum applications were tightened

The Legislative Assembly of St. Petersburg adopted an amendment, according to which the number of applicants of the referendum should increase from 20 to 300 people, Fontanka reports .

The author of the initiative, the chairman of the Committee on Legislation, Denis Cetrobok explained his proposal "the struggle for democratic values."

“Unfortunately, the practice of recent times showed that the referendum institution ceased to be perceived as a special form of the will of citizens, and became one of the manipulation tools. Numerous initiative groups, clearly pursuing political goals for personal reasons, launch the procedure provided for by law, thereby depreciating the centuries -old conquests of democracy, ”he said.

In March, the election of St. Petersburg approved the application for a referendum regarding the transfer of the St. Isaac's Cathedral of the Russian Orthodox Church. The initiative should now be approved in the Legislative Assembly of the city. Prior to this, referendum applicants were refused registration of applications due to issuing problems.

In May, the election also registered an application for a referendum regarding the deprivation of the mandates of those deputies who opposed the transfer of the St. Isaac's Cathedral.