DECREE ISSUED BY THE PRESIDIUM OF THE SUPREME COUNCIL OF THE GEORGIAN SSR on the Decisions made at the 12th Extraordinary Session of the Council of People’s Deputies of the 20th convocation of the Autonomous Oblast of the South Ossetia.

The Session of the Council of People’s Deputies of the 20th convocation of the Autonomous Oblast of South Ossetia took place on 10 November 1989 and addressed the following issues:

About the Chair of the Oblispolkom (Oblast Executive Committee - edit.);

Declaration of the Ossetian language as the State language of the Autonomous Oblast and changing the status of the Autonomous Oblast of South Ossetia.

The Executive Committee of the Oblast Council made the decision on the convocation of the session on 10 November on 9 November under pressure and blackmail on the part of representatives of “Adamon Nikhas”. Pursuant to the protest lodged by the Prosecutor of the Oblast the Executive Committee of the Oblast Council invalidated the aforementioned decision, as an unlawful one, and declared 25 November as a day of convocation of the session.

However, due to an active pressure and influence from the “Adamon Nikhas”, the session in question was held on 10 November 1989.

The Session was held in gross violation of Article 40 of the Law on the Autonomous Oblast of the South Ossetia. According to this article, information on time, venue and agenda of a session must be conveyed to the Deputies of the Executive Council of the Autonomous Oblast and general population at least two weeks prior to the session.

The aforementioned violation of the legislature is especially unforgivable, since the session addressed the issues of paramount importance for the whole population of the Oblast.

Taking into consideration the fact that rules and norms of convocation of a session were grossly violated and that the session addressed issues far beyond the competence the Executive Council of the Oblast, the Presidium of the Supreme Council of the Georgian SSR decrees:

Based on Article 115, paragraph 10 of the Constitution of the Georgian SSR, to declare decisions made at the 12th Extraordinary Session of the Council of People’s Deputies of the 20th convocation of the Autonomous Oblast of the South Ossetia null and void, since these decisions are not in conformity with the existing legislature.

Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Council of the Georgian SSR O. Cherkezia

Secretary of the Presidium of the Supreme Council of the Georgian SSR V. Kvaratskhelia

16 November 1989

(Bulletin of the Supreme Council of the Georgian SSR, 1989, # 11, p. 7-8)