Democracy Gains New Tools: Governorate of Justice Presents Draft Law “On Democracy and Public Administration”

Citizens of Vestina will gain the right to submit fully drafted bills, the threshold for civic initiatives will be reduced tenfold, and for the first time, inaction by public authorities will be subject to appeal.

The Governorate of Justice of the Republic of Vestina is submitting for public consultation the draft Constitutional Law “On Democracy and Public Administration in the Republic of Vestina” — a revised version of one of the fundamental acts defining how citizens participate in the governance of the digital state.

The current law expanded upon the principles of popular sovereignty established by the Constitution. Since then, Vestina’s digital platform has grown, and so have citizens’ expectations regarding the tools available for direct participation.

What Will Change for Every Citizen

• The threshold for a civic initiative will be reduced from 1,000 to 100 signatures. Raising an issue before a public authority will become ten times easier. At the same time, every signature will be verified through the digital identification system to ensure that each initiative remains legitimate rather than merely formal.
• Citizens’ legislative initiative will be introduced for the first time. By collecting 1,000 signatures, citizens of Vestina will be able to submit to the Garacium not merely a proposal, but a fully drafted bill. The bill will be subject to a mandatory legal opinion by the Committee on Legal Regulation, while citizens will retain the right to revise and resubmit the text if it is not accepted on the first attempt.
• Public authorities will face genuine accountability for inaction. If a public authority ignores an initiative, fails to conduct a consultation, or does not publish a required report, a citizen will be able to appeal such inaction to a higher authority. The appeal must be reviewed within 15 days.
• Public consultations will become faster and more meaningful. The consultation period for draft laws will be reduced from five to three days. However, the public authority will be required either to take submitted comments into account or to provide a reasoned response to them within 10 days after the consultation ends.
• Reporting by public officials will have a clear deadline and consequences. Annual reports must be published no later than December 30, and failure to submit such a report will, for the first time, entail liability.

The draft law also establishes the concept of Vestina’s digital platform, vestina.blog, as the official resource for voting, public consultations, civic initiatives, and citizens’ appeals. It also expressly recognizes civil society institutions — public associations and initiative groups — as independent participants in public administration.

The Governorate has also presented a comparative table to make it easier for citizens to review and assess the amendments proposed in the new draft law.

The full text of the draft law is available for review, and comments and proposals may be submitted through the Civic Participation Information System. The Governorate of Justice will review all proposals received.
Civic Participation Information System — Republic of Vestina