How Citizen Appeals and Petitions Differ
Article 35 of the Constitution preserves the right to submit individual and collective appeals. Petitions are governed by Chapter 12-1 of the Administrative Procedural Code: they are a separate process for addressing public and local authorities, not a direct citizen right to introduce bills in the Kurultai.
What the Constitution guarantees
Article 35 guarantees the right to submit individual and collective appeals to state bodies and local self-government bodies. This is the basic constitutional guarantee for communicating with public authorities.
Article 60 separately names the holders of legislative initiative: the President, Kurultai deputies, the Government, and the People's Council. Citizens are not directly included in that list.
How petitions are governed
The petition process is established not by a separate constitutional rule, but by Chapter 12-1 of the Administrative Procedural Code.
- a draft petition is submitted through a state-designated internet resource or in writing;
- at least 50 citizens must join within 20 working days before the draft is made publicly available;
- after publication, support may be collected for up to six months;
- the threshold depends on the addressee: 50,000 votes are required for a matter within a central state body's competence, while different thresholds apply locally;
- a supported petition is reviewed within 40 working days at central level and 20 working days at local level;
- the final decision must give reasons and be published on the internet resource.
What should not be confused
A petition may trigger review by the competent authority and a public, reasoned decision. It does not automatically become a bill and does not create a separate citizen right of legislative initiative.
Administrative Procedural Code, Chapter 12-1: Articles 90-1–90-6
Key facts
- The Constitution guarantees individual and collective appeals
- Articles 90-1–90-6 of the Administrative Procedural Code govern petitions
- A draft first needs 50 citizens for public placement; later thresholds depend on the addressee
- A petition is not a direct citizen legislative initiative
Basis for this explainer
Constitutional provisions and primary sources supporting this explanation.
Constitutional provisions
Primary sources
Open sources the editorial team used to verify this explainer. Checked 16 July 2026.
Related articles
Quick links to the constitutional articles behind this explainer.