CONSTIRUTION OF THE
Chapter I
General Provisions
1. Georgian workers, peasants and Red Army Men,
guided by the ideas of the Great October Socialist Revolution, after abolishing
the Constituent Assembly and all the central and local organs of the state
authority of the Democratic Republic of Georgia, hereby establish the
sovereignty and dictatorship of the proletariat rendering the whole state
authority to the Soviets of Deputies in the Center, as well as at local levels.
Note: The Soviet Socialist Republic of Georgia,
on the basis of the right to free self-determination, includes: the Autonomous
Soviet Socialist Republic of Adjara, the Autonomous
Oblast of South Ossetia and the Soviet Socialist
Republic of Abkhazia; the relation with the latter is based on the Special
Union Treaty concluded between these Republics.
(…)
Chapter II
Article 5. The Soviet Socialist Republic of
Georgia is a sovereign state, which may not tolerate the equal ownership from
other sides on it territory; on its turn,
Article 6. The state language of the Georgian
SSR shall be Georgian. All of the
central organs are located in the city of
Note: the national minorities shall be ensured
the right to free development and application of their native languages in
their own national-cultural organizations, as well as in the state agencies.
Article 7.
Any restriction of the rights of the national minorities, i.e. the
oppression of equality with other citizens is inadmissible.
Chapter III.
Article 8.
The supreme power of the Soviet Socialist Republic of Georgia belongs to
the Congress of the All-Georgian Soviets of Workers, peasants and Red Army
deputies; in the period of between the Congresses the supreme power is
exercised by the All-Georgian Central Executive Committee.
Chapter V
Structure of the Soviet Authority
a) Organization of the Central Power
Article 18.
The All-Georgian Soviet Congress consists of representatives of the
District, City, Rural Soviet Congresses, as well as of Autonomous Republics and
Autonomous Oblasts on the basis of following norms: from the District and
Village Congresses –one deputy for 10000 inhabitants; from city and industrial
towns – 1 deputy for 2000 voters.
Article 19. The All-Georgian Congress of
Soviets shall be convened by the All-Georgian Central Executive Committee once
a year.
Article 20. The Special Congress of the All-Georgian
Soviets may be convened by the All-Georgian Central Executive Committee upon
its own initiative or at the request of local Soviets having not less than
one-third of the entire population of the republic.
21. The Congress of the All-Georgian Soviets
shall elect the All-Georgian Central Executive Committee of not more than 95
members.
Chapter VI
All-Georgian Central Executive Committee
Article 22. The All-Georgian Central Executive
Committee is the supreme legislative, executive and controlling organ of the
Soviet Socialist Republic of Georgia.
Chapter VII
The Presidium of the All-Georgian Central
Executive Committee
Article 33. The All-Georgian Central Executive
Committee elects the Presidium of the All-Georgian Central Executive Committee.
Article 38. The Presidium of the All-Georgian
Central Executive Committee shall verify the execution of the decisions and
ordinances of the All-Georgian Executive Committee and directs the work in the
center, as well as at local levels.
Article 39. The Presidium of the All-Georgian
Executive Committee shall resolve the issues and conflicts relating to the
interrelations on the one hand between the People’s Commissariats and other
central organs, and on the other – with the local executive committees.
Article 40. The Presidium of the All-Georgian
central Executive Committee shall decide the issues of administrative-economic
division of the Soviet Socialist Republic of Georgia.
Chapter VIII
The Council of People’s Commissars
Article 45. The Council of People’s Commissars
of the Soviet Socialist Republic of Georgia is entrusted with the general
management of the affairs of the Georgian SSR. It shall consist of 12 People’s
Commissariats; the Council is led by the chairman, who shall be a member of the
All-Georgian Central Executive Committee.
These Commissariats are: a) Foreign Affairs; b) Military and Navy
affairs; c) Internal Affairs, which includes the Departments of: National
Affairs, Post and Telegraph, Central Statistics; d) Justice; e) Labour, which includes the Social Protection Division; d)
public Education; e) Health-Care; f) Finances; g) Agriculture; h) Food Processing; i)
Supreme Council of Public Economy, which includes the Transportation
Department; j) Workers’ and Peasants’ Inspectorate.
Chapter XII
Jurisdiction of the Congress of the
All-Georgian Soviets and of the All-Georgian Central Executive Committee
Article 62. The All-Georgian Congress and the
All-Georgian Central Executive Committee deal with the affairs of state importance,
such as:
a) General direction of the foreign and
internal policy of the Soviet Socialist Republic of Georgia;
b) General administrative division of the
territory of the Soviet Socialist Republic of Georgia;
c) Establishment and changing weights, measures,
and money denominations of the Soviet Socialist Republic of Georgia;
d) Making loans, signing customs and commercial
treaties and financial agreements;
e) Working out a basis and a general plan for
the national economy and for its certain branches on the territory of the
Soviet Socialist Republic of Georgia;
f) Approval of the budget, and levying taxes
and establishing the duties of citizens to the state;
g) Establishing the bases for the organization of
armed forces of the Soviet Socialist Republic of Georgia;
h) State legislation, judicial organization and
procedures, civil and criminal legislation etc;
i) Appointment and dismissal of the individual
People’s Commissars, as well as of entire Council of People’s Commissars, and
approval of the Chairman of the Council of People’s Commissars;
j) Issuing general decisions on granting and
forfeiting the Georgian citizenship and fixing rights of foreigners on the
territory of the
k) The right to declare general amnesty;
l) The All-Georgian Congress and the
All-Georgian Central Executive Committee have charge of all other affairs which
according to their decision, require their attention.
Article 63. The following issues are solely
under the jurisdiction of the All-Georgian Congress:
a) Ratification and amendment of the basic
principles of the Constitution;
b) Determination and alteration of boundaries,
as well as ceding of the territories of the Soviet Socialist Republic of
Georgia or the rights rendered to the Republic.
c) Cooperation with foreign countries,
declaration of war, ratification of peace treaties.
Chapter XIII
b) Organization of the Congress of the Local
Soviets
Article 64.
The District Soviets are composed of the representative of community
Soviets on the basis of the norm – 1 Deputy for 1000 inhabitants; from the
cities within the District, Industrial Settlements and big villages – one
deputy for 200 voters, but nor more than 200 deputies for entire district.
Note: The Military units, dislocated in the
District outside of the
Note 3. All of the cities of the
Article 65. The regular congresses of the
soviets, including the autonomous republics and oblasts, shall be convened by
the respective executive organs of the Soviet authority (Executive Committees)
upon their own initiative or, upon request of local Soviets comprising not less
than one-third of entire population of the given district, not less than once a
year.
Article 66. Re-election of the city and
community Soviets shall be conducted once a year.
Article 67. The Congress of District Soviets
elects its executive organ - an executive Committee the membership of which
shall not exceed 13.
Article 68.
The Executive Committee is responsible to the Congress of Soviets, which
has elected it.
Article 69. In the boundaries of the respective
territories the congresses the supreme power; during intervals between the
convocation of the congress, the executive committee is the supreme power.
Article 70. The Decisions of the local Congress
of Soviet may be revoked solely by the superior Congress, their executive
committees, All-Georgian Central Executive Committee and its Presidium.
Article 71. The decisions of the Executive Committees
and their Presidiums may be revoked by the higher Congress, Executive Committee
and its Presidium, All-Georgian Central Executive Committee and its Presidium,
and by the Council of People’s Commissars.
Chapter XIV
The Soviet of Deputies
Article 57.
Soviets of Deputies are formed in the Cities, industrial settlement and
big villages on the basis of the norm – 1 deputy for 1000 inhabitants, but not
less than 15 and not more than 50 deputies, except of the city of
The Soviets shall participate in the District
Congress and through them, in the Congress of Georgian Soviets, except the
Cities of Poti and
Article 73. Term of the deputy shall be one
year.
Note: In small rural settlements, whenever
possible, all questions shall be decided at general meeting of voters.
Article 74.
The Soviets of communities shall be formed on the basis of norm – 1
deputy for 100 inhabitants.
75. The Soviet of Deputies elects an executive
organ (executive committee) – not more than three members for community, and in
the cities – one for each 50 members, but not less than three and not more than
13 (for Tbilisi not more than 25); the Executive Committee is responsible to
the Soviet, which has elected it.
Note: The District executive committee has the
right to extend the composition of the community executive committees up to 4
members.
78. Within its jurisdiction, and in cases
specified for in Article 73, the meeting of the voters is the supreme power in
the given territory.
Chapter XV
Jurisdiction of the local organs of the Soviets
Article 80. The District Soviets and their
executive committees have the rights to control the activity of the community
soviets, as well as to overrule the decisions of the latter, giving notice in
important cases to the central soviet authority.
Chapter XVI
The Departments at the Executive Committees and
their subordination
Article 81. For the purpose of performing their
duties, the local soviets, urban, district and community Soviets form the
Departments led by the heads selected by the Executive Committee.
Article 82. The following Departments may be
formed at the District executive committee:
1) Management; 2) Military; 3) Labour and Social Protection; 4) Public Education; 5)
Finance; 6) Agriculture; 7) Food; 8) Workers’ and Peasants Inspectorate; 9)
Health-Care; 10) Public utilities.
Note: Upon the permission of the Supreme
Economic Council the Economic Department may be established at the District
Executive Committee where the enterprises of all-Union importance are located.
Article 83. The Department is led by the Head,
who may not be a member of the Executive Committee. The Head of Department shall be elected by
the executive committee and approved by the respective People’s
Commissariat. In the event of
discrepancies the issue shall be decided by the Council of People’s Commissars.
Article 84. The Departments of the Executive
Committee are under administrative subordination of the local executive
committee; the instructions and orders of the local, as well as of higher
executive committees and relevant People’s Commissariats are binding to them.
Chapter XVII
Relation of the central and local authorities
89. The Central organs deal with all matters
solely through the local Soviets and their departments. All of the local
standing organs and administrative-economic agencies subordinate to the
People’s Commissariats, as well as ad-hoc organs shall be included within the
relevant district and city Executive Committees or directly subordinated to
them. Certain exceptions may be
introduced towards some organizations upon the special decision of the Central Executive
Committee of All-Georgia or its Presidium.
90. Higher Executive Committees and their
Presidiums, Central Executive Committee of All-Georgia and its Presidium are
entitled to give direct instructions to the local executive committees and
their presidiums.
91. Suspension of execution of any ordinances
issued by the certain commissariats is admissible on the basis of decree of
district or city executive committee but only under judicial responsibility of
a letter and when such ordinance contravenes to the relevant Decision of the
Council of People’s Commissars or of the Central Executive Committee of
All-Georgia.
92. The District or City executive committee
shall promptly inform the Presidium of the Central Executive Committee of
All-Georgia and the Council of People’s Commissars, as well as the relevant
Commissariat on necessity and urgency of suspension.
93. The Presidium of the Central Executive
Committee of All-Georgia makes decision on criminal liability of a guilty side,
i.e. either the Commissariat, or the District or City executive committee that
made a wrong decision on suspension of the Commissariat’s ordinance.
94. The Department of the executive committee,
failing to fulfil the decision of the People’s
Commissariat, shall promptly inform the Presidium; a latter, without termination
of execution of the decision shall submit to the Council of People’s Commissars
or to the Central Executive Committee of All-Georgia the conclusion on
necessity of application of this sanction simultaneously informing the organ
that have issued the ordinance.
95. The
executive committees of counties have the same rights on the same basis with
regard of instructions issued by the District departments.
Chapter XVIII
The Court
96. …The Soviet Socialist Republic of Georgia
shall form the unified system of People’s Court operating on the
97. For appeal and private motions on verdicts,
decisions and performance of the People’s Judges, and for exercising the
control over the judiciary, the Council of People’s Judges shall be formed with
a permanent residence in
(…)
Chapter XIX
Budgetary Rights
102. The state expenditure and income of the Soviet
Socialist Republic of Georgia are combined in the state budget within the
all-state.
105. The All-Georgian Congress of Soviets or
the All-Georgian Central Executive Committee shall determine what matters of
income and taxation shall go to the state budget and shat shall go to the local
Soviets.
106. The local Soviets determine the taxation
only for the needs of local economy with obligatory and preliminary submission
of motivated estimate to the Council of People’s Commissars, subject to final
approval by the All-Georgian Central Executive Committee.
108. The assets for all-state needs shall be
assigned from the State Treasury.
109. No expenditure, out of the state treasury
not set forth in the budget of income and expenditure,
shall be made without a special order of the central power.
110. For the needs of all-state importance, the
relevant People’s Commissariats shall provide the credits at disposal of the
local Soviets from the state treasury.
(…)
(The Collection of the Constitutional Acts of
the Georgian SSR.
(1921-1978).