The institution of the nation-wide referendum is the supreme form of expressing the people’s will in the system of exercise of State power on the basis of the principles of people’s power. In Ukraine, for a long time there is a gap in the legal supportfor the institution of the all-Ukrainian referendum which stems from the problem of normative reproduction of its constitutionally defined model, due to ideological, political and legal factors. Therefore, today, when the legislative efforts in this direction are intensified, attention should be focused on the issues of constitutional law-making with regard to modeling of the institution of the All-Ukrainian referendum in the course of constitutional transformations underway in our State.

The article aims at highlighting the development of constitutional concepts relating to juridification of the institution of the All-Ukrainian referendum in the context of shaping the national tradition of constitutionalism in sovereign Ukraine, particularly, with a focus on the relevant draft bills which have been submitted to the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine for consideration, as well as other legislative ideas which are not reflected in the relevant documents but, nevertheless, determine the political and ideological, scientific and legal aspects of public opinion and public attitude to the development of direct democracy institutions.

The article analyzes the process of development of constitutional law-making in Ukraine with regard to the normative model of the All-Ukrainian referendum, particularly, in the context of political and constitutional-law transformations which have occurred in the State, and in the context of forming the referendum legislation and practice. The author presents own concept of dividing this process into periods in the projection of the constitutional and legal events most significant for the development of referendum law. The author emphasizes that it is fundamentally important that the political and legal concept guaranteeing democracy through the all-Ukrainian referendum is immutable. The process of transformation of constitutional concepts is studied, in particular: from the functional concept of the All-Ukrainian referendum (recognition of the legislative (constitutional and constituent) function) and its control and organizational role in the mechanism of renewal of representative bodies of State power) to the general fundamental concept in the projection of the general model of public power arrangement. It is emphasized that political and ideological diversity in legislative ideas regarding constitutionalization of referendum as an institution enhances society democratization processes and attests to the public demand for introduction of efficient tools for expression of the people’s will in the public administration system. The choice of the legislative model for organization of the national (All-Ukrainian) referendum appeals to the level of political and legal culture and the maturity of political elites personified by the society stratum vested with State power. In the context of democracy, the institutions representing State power and delegated with public administration functions have a positive obligation to put in place efficient mechanisms for the exercise of the people’s power in the constitutional order system.

Bibliography

Authored books

1. Pavlenko I ta inshi, Rozvytok form bezposerednoi demokratii v Ukraini: analiz dotsilnosti ta perspektyv zastosuvannia: analitych dopovid [Development of Direct Democracy Forms in Ukraine: Analysis of the Expediency and Prospects of Application: Analytical Description] (NISD 2019) (in Ukrainian).

Edited and translated books

2. “Konstytutsiia – pravne oblychchia vsiiei krainy” (nerealizovani storinky suchasnoho konstytutsiinoho protsesu): zbirka proektiv Konstytutsii Ukrainy ta zakonoproektiv pro vnesennia zmin do Osnovnoho Zakonu Ukrainy, Kontseptsiia novoi Konstytutsii Ukrainy ta kontseptsii zmin do Konstytutsii Ukrainy [“The Constitution As the Legal Face of the Whole Country” (Unrealized Pages of Modern Constitutional Process): Collected Drafts of the Constitution of Ukraine and Draft Laws on Amendments to the Fundamental Law of Ukraine, the Concept of the New Constitution of Ukraine and the Concepts of Amendments to the Constitution of Ukraine”], kn 1 (Zaichuk V zah red, 2013) (in Ukrainian).

3. “Konstytutsiia – pravne oblychchia vsiiei krainy” (nerealizovani storinky suchasnoho konstytutsiinoho protsesu): Zbirka proektiv Konstytutsii Ukrainy ta zakonoproektiv pro vnesennia zmin do Osnovnoho Zakonu Ukrainy, Kontseptsiia novoi Konstytutsii Ukrainy ta kontseptsii zmin do Konstytutsii Ukrainy [“The Constitution As the Legal Face of the Whole Country” (Unrealized Pages of Modern Constitutional Process): Collected Drafts of the Constitution of Ukraine and Draft Laws on Amendments to the Fundamental Law of Ukraine, the Concept of the New Constitution of Ukraine and the Concepts of Amendments to the Constitution of Ukraine], kn 2 (Zaichuk V zah red, 2013) (in Ukrainian).

4. Yevropeiskyi demokratychnyi dorobok u haluzi vyborchoho prava: Materialy Venetsianskoi Komisii, Parlamentskoi Asamblei, Komitetu Ministriv, Konhresu mistsevykh i rehionalnykh vlad Rady Yevropy [The European Democratic Developments in Electoral Law: Materials of the Venice Commission, the Parliamentary Assembly, the Committee of Ministers, the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe] (per z anhl, vyd 2-e, 2009) (in Ukrainian).

5. Musiiaka V (ukladach), Antolohiia konstytutsiinoho protsesu v suchasnii Ukraini [Anthology of the Constitutional Process in Modern Ukraine] (Tsentr Razumkova 2017) (in Ukrainian).

Theses

6. Onishchuk M, ‘Konstytutsiini osnovy referendnoi demokratii v Ukraini’ [‘Constitutional Foundations of Referendum Democracy in Ukraine’] (avtoref dys d-ra yur nauk, 2010) (in Ukrainian).

Websites

7. Vasylenko V, ‘Hrudnevyi referendum yak naivyshcha forma lehitymizatsii ukrainskoi derzhavnoi nezalezhnosti’ [‘The December Referendum as the Supreme Form of Legitimization of Ukraine’s State Sovereignty’] (Tyzhden.ua, 01.12.2011) <https://tyzhden. ua/History/36621> (accessed: 03.07.2020) (in Ukrainian).