Nedostaci i ograničenja referendumske demokratije
DISADVANTAGES AND LIMITATIONS OF REFERENDUM DEMOCRACY

Summary/Abstract: Referendum is a multifunctional instrument of direct democracy. Rule of people, which is based on practical use of the referendum, may be marked as referendum democracy. In contemporary political theory and practice there are extremely divided opinions about the use, the implications and effects of referendum democracy. From the relations of political power to the citizens and the referendum decision, as a rule, depends on the quality of referendum democracy. Practical implementation of the referendum in democratic countries is often marked by various controversies and antinomies. The primary problem is that state power is often abuse their position or openly manipulate by the interests of the electorate and the impact on its preference. In other words, such rule through its ideological machinery works on deliberately anesthetizing, misleading and deluding of the citizens who participate in the referendum decision. Empirical experiences have shown that frequent practice of referendum democracy usually produces a conservative political will which is compatible with the premises of subject political culture. Such antinomian character of the referendum decision largely reduces its democratic potential. Controversial practices that are connected with the practical use of the referendum can be first detected in transition and multinational democratic countries - such as Bosnia and Herzegovina - where often the demand for a referendum deciding on issues within the competence of national authorities, can have segregation, irredentist and separatistic character.

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