DECREE ISSUED BY THE SUPREME SOVIET OF THE USSR on organization and measures for holding the Referendum of the USSR on the issue of preserving the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics

Based on the fact that only the People may take a burden of historical responsibility before the fate of the USSR, and in order to implement the decisions of the Forth Congress of the People’s Deputies of the USSR and in compliance with the legislation of the USSR on the Referendum, the Supreme Soviet of the USSR Decrees:

1. To hold on the whole territory of the USSR the Referendum of the USSR on preserving the USSR as a federation of equal republics on Sunday, 17 March 1991.

2. To include in the secret ballot-paper the following wording of the question put to the Referendum and the versions of voters’ answers:

“Do you consider necessary preservation of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republic as a renewed federation of equal sovereign republics, in which the human rights and freedoms will be fully secured for a person of any nationality”.

“Yes” or “No”

3. To consolidate the results of voting for the All-Union taking into account the results of voting in each Republic separately.

10. In accordance with Article 29 of the Law of the USSR “on the Public Referendum of the USSR”, the decision made through the Referendum of the USSR is final, binding on the whole territory of the USSR and may be revoked or changed solely through the new Referendum of the USSR.

Chairman of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR A. Lukianov

Moscow, Kremlin, 16 January 1991

(Bulletin of the Peoples’ Deputies Congress of the USSR and the Supreme Council of the USSR, M., 1991, # 4, p. 161-162)