ACT on the National Independence of
the Republic of Abkhazia
Abkhaz Statehood counts over 12 centuries of
history. For centuries the people of Abkhazia have had to struggle to preserve
their independence.
With the start of the disintegration of the Soviet Union, the people of Abkhazia have intensified their struggle
for the lost State independence. The adoption on 25th August 1990 of the “Declaration of State Sovereignty” by the
Supreme Council of Abkhazia was a first step to its restoration. The disruption
of state-legal relations between Abkhazia and Georgia initiated by the Georgian
authorities and the subsequent Abkhaz-Georgian war of 1992-1993 resulted in the
independence of Abkhazia both de facto
and de jure.
The Constitution of the Republic of Abkhazia,
adopted by the Supreme Council of the Republic of Abkhazia on 26th November
1994, laid the legal basis to the already established the independent State -
the Republic of Abkhazia (Apsny).
On 3 October 1999 a referendum was held to determine the attitude of
citizens to the current Constitution. On the day of referendum there lived
219,534 citizens on the territory of Abkhazia eligible to vote, i.e. 58.5% of the pre-war
number of electors. 87.6% of the registered electors took part in the
referendum, which comprised more than half of the pre-war number of electors.
97.7% of them approved the Constitution currently in force.
In accordance of the Constitution and the Law of
the Republic of Abkhazia on Referendum, democratic rule shall lay the
ground of the state authority in the Republic of Abkhazia; the people shall exercise their power either
directly by means of referendum or through their representatives. In this way
the people of Abkhazia have reaffirmed their determination to pursue to the
building of a sovereign, democratic State functioning in accordance with law, a
subject of international law, and to seek its recognition by the international
community.
The rights and freedoms proclaimed in the
Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenants on Economic,
Social and Cultural Rights, On Civil and Political Rights and other universally
recognized international legal acts are among the most fundamental principles
of the Constitutional system of the Republic of Abkhazia.
The Republic of Abkhazia intends to build up its relations with other
States on the basis of equality, peace, good-neighbourly relations, respect for
territorial integrity and sovereignty, non-interference in internal affairs,
and other universally recognized principles of political, economic and cultural
cooperation between States.
Proceeding from the aforementioned, we appeal to
the UN, the OSCE, and to all States of the world to recognize the independent
State established by the people of Abkhazia on the basis of the right of
nations to free self-determination.
President of the Republic of Abkhazia V.
Ardzinba
Speaker of the People’s Assembly of the Republic of Abkhazia S.
Jinjolia
Deputies
of the People’s Assembly of the Republic of Abkhazia
Sukhumi, 12
October 1999
(www.apsny.org)