LAW OF THE UNION OF THE SOVIET SOCIALIST REPUBLICS on the issues relating to the secession of the Union Republic from the USSR

Article 1. This Law sets out the procedures on secession of the union republic from the USSR pursuant to Article 72 of the Constitution of the USSR.

Article 2. The decision on seceding from the USSR the Union Republic exercises based on the free will of the peoples of the union republic through the referendum. The decision on holding the referendum shall be taken by the Supreme Council of the union republic upon its own initiative or based on the appeal signed by the one tenth of the population of the USSR, permanent residents of the republic and authorized to vote under the legislation of the USSR.

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Article 3. In the Union Republics, having autonomous republics, autonomous oblasts and autonomous districts, the referendum shall be held separately for each autonomous entity. The peoples of the autonomous republics and autonomous entities reserve the right on having independent decision to remain within the USSR or within the seceding republic, also to raise the issue on legal status of the entity.

Voting results in the Union Republics with the territories of compact settlement of ethnic groups, which represent the majority of the population in that territory shall be considered separately.

Article 4. For the purpose to arrange the referendum for seceding from the USSR, to fix the date of referendum and sum up the results, the Supreme Council of the union republic shall set up the commission with participation of all concerned sides, including those mentioned in the first and second sections of Article 3 of this law.

Article 6. The decision on seceding from the USSR through the referendum shall be adopted if not less than two thirds of the citizens of the USSR, permanent residents of the republic and authorized to vote under the legislation of the USSR will vote in favour.

The Supreme Council of the union republic shall consider the results of the referendum.

In the Union Republics, having autonomous republics, autonomous oblasts and autonomous okrugs or the territories of compact settlement of ethnic groups, mentioned in the second section of Article 3 of this law, the results shall be considered by the Supreme Council of the union republic together with the Supreme Council of the Autonomous Republic and relevant Council of the People’s Deputies of the autonomous entity.

Article 7. Supreme Council of the Union Republic shall submit the results of the referendum to the Supreme Council of the USSR. Union Republics, having autonomous republics, autonomous oblasts and autonomous districts or the territories of compact settlement of ethnic groups, mentioned in the second section of Article 3 of this law, shall submit the results of the referendum for each autonomous entity and compact settlements separately with the conclusions and proposals to the relevant state authorities.

If the Supreme Council of the USSR finds the referendum lawful, it shall raise the issue before the Congress of the People’s Deputies of the USSR to be discussed.

In case of breach of law when holding the referendum, the Supreme Council of the USSR shall set repeated referendum in three-month term in the republic or in its part, either in the autonomous entity or in the territory of compact settlement of the ethnic groups mentioned in the second section of Article 3 of this law.

Article 9. The results of the referendum on seceding from the USSR of the union republic, as well as conclusion of the supreme state authorities of the union republic, autonomous republics, autonomous oblasts and districts on the issue shall be considered by the Congress of the People’s Deputies of the USSR. The Congress of the People’s Deputies of the USSR, upon the submission of the Supreme Council of the USSR, prior coordinated with the Supreme Council of the seceding republic shall determine the transitional period that should not exceed five-year and the issues, related to the secession of the union republic shall be settled within this term.

Article 10. If, in accordance of the referendum results, the final decision on secession of the union republic is not reached, a new referendum on the issue can be arranged not earlier than 10 years from the day of previous referendum.

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Article 14. …The following issues shall be solved within transitional period in relation of the seceding republic and the USSR, as well as other union republics, autonomous republics, autonomous entities and ethnic groups:

7) the issue regarding the territories that didn’t belong to the seceding republic at the moment of its joining to the USSR shall be negotiated;

8) the status of the territories with compact ethnic settlements, mentioned in the second section of Article 3 of this law shall be negotiated pursuant to the referendum;

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Article 15. The citizens of the USSR, residing on the territory of the seceding republic, have the right to make their own chose on citizenship, place of residence and work. Seceding country shall compensate all expenses relating to the displacement of the citizens outside of the republic.

Article 19. During the last year of the transitional period, the seceding country, by the initiative of the supreme organ of the state authority can hold the repeated referendum in order to approve the decision on separation of the union republic from the USSR. The repeated referendum is binding if it is requested by one tenth of the citizens of the USSR, permanent residents of the republic and authorized to vote under the legislation of the USSR.

If in the repeated referendum for the approval of the decision on secession from the USSR less than two thirds of the citizens of the USSR, permanent residents of the union republic authorized to suffrage under the legislation of the USSR votes in favour, the decision on separation of the union republic from the USSR shall be revoked and the procedures shall be terminated.

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The President of the Union of he Soviet Socialist Republics M. Gorbachev.

3 April 1990

(Bulletin of the Congress of the People’s Deputies of the USSR and the Supreme Council of the USSR, M., 1990, # 15, p. 303-308)