DECREE ISSUED BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF GEORGIA on suspension of implementation of the Decree issued by the Supreme Council of Abkhazian ASSR on “Securing Economic Bases of Sovereignty of Abkhazia” and the Decree issued on 22 October 1991 by the Council of Ministers of the Abkhaz ASSR on “Subordination to Jurisdiction of the Abkhaz ASSR of all Enterprises and Organizations that have previously been under the Union and Republican Jurisdiction”

The Supreme Council of the Abkhaz ASSR issued the decree on “Securing Economic Bases of Sovereignty of Abkhazia”. In this regard, the Council of Ministers of the Abkhaz ASSR on 22 October 1991 issued the decree on “Subordination to Jurisdiction of the Abkhaz ASSR of all Enterprises and Organizations that have previously been under the Union and Republican Jurisdiction”. By the virtue of the same decree issued by the Council of Ministers, a special working group was set up that was entrusted with a task of coordinating all activities in that direction.

The aforementioned decree envisages transferring, freeing of charge, to jurisdiction of Abkhazia and its ownership of all enterprises and organizations located on the territory of the Abkhaz ASSR.

The aforementioned decrees issued by the Supreme Council the Abkhaz ASSR and the Council of Ministers of the Abkhaz ASSR are illegal and must be invalidated on the following grounds:

To issue a decree regulating transfer of the Union and Republican subordination enterprises and organizations under the jurisdiction of Abkhazia goes beyond the competence of the Supreme Council of the Abkhaz ASSR;

By issuing the aforementioned decrees, provisions of the Constitution of the Republic of Georgia have been violated, since according to the Constitution all issues related to the ownership and management of property of the Autonomous Republic must be decided upon agreement with the Supreme Council and Government of the Republic of Georgia.

Taking into account all the aforementioned I decree:

1. To suspend implementation of the Decree issued by the Supreme Council of the Abkhaz ASSR on “Securing Economic Bases of Sovereignty of Abkhazia” and of the Decree issued on 22 October 1991 by the Council of Ministers of the Abkhaz ASSR on “Subordination to Jurisdiction of the Abkhaz ASSR of all Enterprises and Organizations that have previously been under the Union and Republican Jurisdiction” and declare them as legally null and void.

2. To advise a newly elected Supreme Council of the Abkhaz ASSR to reconsider this issue.

President of the Republic of Georgia Zviad Gamsakhurdia

Tbilisi, 24 October 1991

(Bulletin of the Supreme Council of the Republic of Georgia, 1991, # 10, p. 22-23)