DECREE ISSUED BY THE PARLIAMENT OF GEORGIA on Supreme Authority of the Autonomous Republic of Abkhazia

On 10 March 1994 the Parliament of Georgia dissolved the Supreme Council of the Abkhaz ASSR.

This zero version was conducive for defining a political status of Abkhazia within the Georgian state laying foundation for genuinely democratic elections, as has been repeatedly underlined in the resolutions of UN, after the hundreds of thousands of persons driven out from Abkhazia as a result of ethnic cleansing returned to their homes.

Nevertheless, being deprived of any legitimacy and elected through the principle of national superiority and having preliminarily guaranteed parliamentary majority, the Gudauta separatist group of deputies, elected by the tiny minority of the population in 1991 to the Supreme Council of Abkhazian ASSR continued, in grossly illegal manner, to act on behalf of the supreme body of the Autonomous Republic, moreover, it adopted the so called Constitution, elected a President, and declared the Abkhazian region a sovereign state and subject of the International law.

The Deputies of the Supreme Council of the Abkhaz SSR, representing the best and genuine interests of multinational population of Abkhazia, even prior to the military conflict, as mark of protest against the anti-constitutional activities of the Gudauta separatist group, suspended their activities in the Supreme Council of the Abkhaz ASSR. Taking the aforementioned into consideration, in January 1995, they resumed activities and appealed to the Parliament of Georgia with a request of endorsing their competence.

The Parliament of Georgia believes, that the vacuum of power existing in Abkhazia, allows the separatist group to continue its criminal, usurper-like activities and rules out the possibility of return of refugees, holding free elections and factual restoration of jurisdiction of Georgia in Abkhazia.

In accordance with paragraph 3 of the article 3 of the law of the Republic of Georgia on “State Power”, the Parliament of Georgia decrees:

1. To declare those Deputies of the Supreme Council of the Abkhaz ASSR elected in 1991 and representing the best and genuine interests of the vast majority of Abkhazia and who did not take part in the anti-constitutional activities of the Gudauta separatist group-the representatives of the supreme representative and legislative body of the Autonomous Republic of Abkhazia.

2. The Supreme Council of the Abkhaz ASSR shall carry out its activities in conformity with the Constitution of the Abkhaz ASSR adopted in 1978 and legislative acts that did not contradict to the legislation of Georgia; to create the necessary legal basis that would guarantee normal functioning of all structures of the Autonomous Republic and creation of relevant normative basis for holding elections in Abkhazia.

3. The Supreme Council of the Abkhaz ASSR shall be entitled with the right to participate in all negotiations on Abkhazia.

To consider null and void any treaty, agreement concluded or statement made, without consent of a delegation made of members of the Supreme Council of the Abkhazian ASSR.

4. To request member –states of the UN, and international organizations to refrain from establishment of any kind of relationship with the aggressive-separatist regime (the Gudauta group), perpetrators of ethnic cleansing-genocide, save for those officials who participate in the negotiation process, mediators and observers, that are to be provided with adequate conditions for carrying out peacemaking efforts aimed at settlement of the conflict in Abkhazia.

5. This decree shall come into force immediately upon publication.

Speaker  of the Parliament of Georgia V. Goguadze

24 February 1995

(Bulletin of the Parliament of Georgia, 1995, # # 23-26, p. 79-81)