LAW OF THE GEORGIAN SSR on City and the City-District Soviets of Peoples Deputies of the Georgian SSR

adopted on 9 December of 1971

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Article 1. In accordance with the Constitutions of the USSR and the Constitution of the Georgian SSR, the Soviets of Cities and City Districts, as the organs of the state authority shall decide the matters of the local significance in the cities and city districts in pursuance to the state interests, as well as to the interests of the citizens of the USSR, execute the decisions of higher state organs, direct the  activity of the inferior Soviets of People’s Deputies, participate in discussion of the issues of district, oblast, republican and All-Union significance, submit proposals on the issues.

Article 2. The City and the City-District Soviets shall be elected by the citizens of respective territories on the basis of universal, equal and direct suffrage by secret ballot for a term of two and a half years.

The rules for elections in District Soviets shall be determined by the laws of the USSR and the Georgian SSE, an in Abkhaz ASSR and Adjarian ASSR also by the laws of the autonomous republic accordingly.

Article 6.  The City and City District Soviets of People’s Deputies shall be guided by: the Constitution of the Georgian SSR and Constitution of the Georgian SSR, this Law, the other laws of the USSR and the Georgian SSR, the Decrees and other acts of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR and the Supreme Soviet of the Georgian SSR, the Resolutions and Decisions of the presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR and the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Georgian SSR, decisions and ordinances of the Council of Ministers of the USSR and the Council of Ministers of the Georgian SSR, the decisions of superior Soviets of People’s Deputies and their Executive Committees.

In the Abkhaz ASSR and the Adjarian ASSR the City and City District Soviets of People’s Deputies shall also be guided by: the Constitution of the Abkhaz ASSR, the Constitution of the Adjarian ASSR, the law of the Abkhaz ASSR and the law of the Adjarian ASSR on the City and City District Soviets of People’s Deputies, other acts of the Abkhaz ASSR and the Adjarian ASSR, decisions and ordinances of the Council of Ministers of the Abkhaz ASSR and the Council of Ministers of the Adjarian ASSR respectively.

Article 7. The City and City District Soviets of People’s Deputies shall adopt decisions within the limits established by the legislations of the USSR and the Georgian SSR, and in Abkhaz ASSR and in the Adjarian ASSR also in pursuance of the legislation of the respective Autonomous Republic; The City and City District Soviets of People’s Deputies shall secure the observance of the aforementioned laws, safeguard their implementation, control the execution of decisions.

The decisions of the City and City District Soviets of People’s Deputies are binding to the enterprises, institutions and organizations, also the officials and citizens on the territory of respective Soviet.

In the event of failure of fulfilling the decisions of the City and City District Soviets by the heads of subordinate enterprises, institutions and organizations, the relevant superior organs are entitled to file the proposal on application of disciplinary measures up to removal from the office.  The District Soviet or its executive committee shall be informed about the results of  consideration not later than within one month.

Article 8.  The Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Georgian SSR shall decide the issue on forming the cities at the places of rural settlements. The procedure for changing the city boundaries shall be determined by the legislation of the Georgian SSR.

The Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Georgian SSR shall form the City District (district within the city) in accordance of the number of population and proceeding from the interests of the population upon proposal of the oblast Soviet of the people’s Deputies, City Soviet of People’s Deputies of Republican subordination (Georgian SSR), and in Abkhaz ASSR and the Adjarian ASSR upon proposal of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the respective autonomous Republic subject to approval by the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Georgian SSR.  The boundaries of the City Districts shall be determined and altered by the respective City Soviet taking in account the visions of the relevant City District’s soviet.

Article 9.  In accordance with the Regulation on the State Flag of the Georgian SSR, the state flag shall be hoisted on the building where the sessions of City and City District Soviets are being held; the flag shall remain there during the session period.  And on the buildings of city and city district executive committees the flag shall be hoisted permanently.  .  In the Abkhaz ASSR and Adjarian ASSR the flag shall be hosted according to the rule established by the regulations on the Flag of Abkhaz ASSR and on the Flag of Adjarian ASSR respectively.

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Article 10. The City and City District Soviet shall have the status of a legal person.

The executive committee of City and City District Soviet of People‘s Deputies has the seal with a Coat of Arms approved by the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Georgian SSR, and in Abkhaz ASSR and Adjarian ASSR they have the seal approved by the respective Presidium.

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Article 11. The rights and responsibilities of the City Soviet shall be determined by the legislations of the USSR an the Georgian SSR, and in Abkhaz ASSR and Adjarian ASSR by the legislation of respective Autonomous Republic according to the category of the city (subordinate to the Georgian SSR, the Abkhaz ASSR, the Adjarian ASSR, the oblast). The category shall be decided on the basis of rules established by the law in account of the number of population, political, economic and cultural significance of the given city.

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Article 25. For the purpose of safeguarding the observance of the law, maintaining the public order, protecting the rights of citizens and exercising the people’s control, the City Soviet of People’s Deputies shall:

1) secure the execution of the laws of the USSR and the Georgian SSR, and in the Autonomous Republics of Abkhazia and Adjaria also the laws of the autonomous republics accordingly, as well as of other acts issued by the higher organs of the state authority and administration; maintain the state and public order; secure the rights and legal interests of the organizations and institutions, cooperative and other public organizations; organize the interpretation of the legislation and legal assistance to the population.

Article 27.  The city Soviet of People’s Deputies is entitled to submit the recommendation on granting the medals and conferring the honorific titles of the USSR and the Georgian SSR, and in the Abkhaz ASSR and the Adjarian ASSR also on the state awards of the respective autonomous republic.

Article 28. The City Soviet of  People’s Deputies shall direct the work of the Village and Settlement Soviets included within its area, approve the plans of economic and social development of the villages and settlements, determine the total amount of village and settlement budgets, approve the income from state taxes, separate the revenues and expenditures of the city, village and settlement budgets, perform the other function specified for by the law of the Georgian SSR on District Soviet of People’s Deputies; and in Abkhaz ASSR and the Adjarian ASSR, also in pursuance to the laws of these Autonomous Republics on District Soviets of People’s Deputies.

Article 29. Under the decision of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Georgian SSR, the rural districts may be included under the administrative subordination of the District Soviet of the people’s Deputies on the exceptional basis.  In this case and also if there are agricultural enterprises or collective farms on the territory of the City, the City Soviets shall be guided by this law and the law of the Georgian SSR on District Soviets of people’s Deputies, and in Abkhaz ASSR and the Adjarian ASSR also by the laws on the District Soviets of People’s Deputies of the Autonomous Republic accordingly.

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Article 40. The City and City District Soviets of the People’s Deputies shall be entitled to discuss and settle at their sessions all matters within their power specified for by the legislation of the USSR, the Georgian SSR, and in Abkhaz ASSR and the Adjarian ASSR also by the legislation of respective autonomous republic...

Article 43. The decisions of the City (under oblast and district subordination), also city district Soviets of People’s Deputies may be revoked by the higher Soviet of People’s Deputies if they run counter to legislation.

The decisions of the City (under Republican subordination, i.e. Georgian SSR. Abkhaz ASSR, Adjarian ASSR) may be revoked by the presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Georgian SSR, the Presidium of the Abkhaz ASSR and the Presidium of the Adjarian ASSR correspondingly.

2. The Executive Committee of the City and City District Soviets of People’s Deputies

Article 45. The executive and administrative bodies of the City and the City-District Soviets of the people’s Deputies shall be the Executive Committee elected by them from among their deputies consisting of: the Chairman of the Executive Committee, the Vice-Chairmen, as secretary and not more than 15 members of the Executive Committee.

The membership of the Executive Committee of the City and the City District Soviets shall be determined by the respective City and the City-district Soviet.

Article 47. The Executive Committee of the City (under oblast and district subordination) and the City-District Soviets shall be directly accountable both to the Soviet that elected it and to the higher executive and administrative organ.

The executive committees of the City (under Republican subordination, i.e. Georgian SSR, Abkhaz ASSR, Adjarian ASSR) Soviets of People’s Deputies shall be directly accountable both to the Soviet that elected them and to the Council of ministers of the Georgian SSR, the Council of Ministers of the Abkhaz ASSR and the Council of Ministers of the Adjarian ASSR accordingly.

Article 48. The executive committees of the City and City-District Soviets of People’s Deputies shall direct the state, economic and social-cultural development of their area on the basis of decisions of higher state and administrative organs.

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Article 58. The decisions and ordinances of the executive committees of the City and City-District Soviets of People’s Deputies may be revoked by the corresponding Soviets of People’s Deputies and by the Executive Committee of the higher Soviets of people’s Deputies.

The decisions and ordinances of the executive committees of the City (under republican subordination, i.e. Georgian SSR, Abkhaz ASSR and the Adjarian ASSR) may be revoked by the corresponding Soviet of People’s Deputies, the Council of ministers of the Georgian SSR, Council of Ministers of the Abkhaz ASSR within their competence.

61. The executive committees of the City and City-District Soviets of People’s Deputies shall have the right to form the Departments and offices.

The list of Departments and offices, as well as the rule of their forming shall be determined by the legislation of the USSR, the Georgian SSR and in the Abkhaz ASSR and the Adjarian ASR also by the legislation of the respective autonomous republic.

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The competence of the executive committees of the City and City-District Soviets of the people’s Deputies shall be determined by the Regulations approved by the Council of Ministers of the Georgian SSR, and in Abkhaz ASSR and the Adjarian ASSR – by the respective Council of Ministers of the Autonomous Republic.

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3. The standing commissions of the City and City-District Soviets of the people’s Deputies.

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Article 67.  The major tasks of the Standing Commissions of the City and City-District Soviets of People’s Deputies shall be as follows:

Recall the Deputy of the City and the City-District Soviets.

Exercise control over the execution of the decisions of higher state organs by the Departments and Offices, enterprises, institutions and organizations.

Ensure observance of the laws of the USSR, the Georgian SSR and in the Abkhaz ASSR and the Adjarian ASSR also of the laws of respective autonomous republic.

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Article 91. ...

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A deputy of the City and the City-District Soviets may not be prosecuted, or arrested, or incur a court-imposed penalty on the territory of the corresponding Soviet without consent of the respective City and City-District Soviet or, between the sessions, of the respective executive committee.

The decisions of the City (under oblast and District Subordination), the City-District Soviets or their executive committees on the issue specified for in section 4 of this Article may be annulled by a higher Soviet of People’s Deputies or its executive committee, and the decisions of the City Soviets under Republican subordination (Georgian SSR, Abkhaz ASSR, Adjarian ASSR) or their executive committees may be revoked by the Presidiums of the Supreme Soviets of the Georgian SSR, the Abkhaz ASSR and the Adjarian ASSR accordingly subject to submission the matter to the corresponding Soviet for reconsideration. If the District Soviet reaffirms its previous decision, the issue may be decided by the Presidium of the Georgian SSR, and in the Abkhaz ASR and the Adjarian ASSR – by the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Autonomous Republic accordingly, and in the South Ossetian Autonomous Oblast – by the Soviet of People’s Deputies on the basis of submission of the Procurator of the Georgian SSR, Procurator of the Abkhaz ASSR, Procurator of the Adjarian ASSR and the Procurator of the South Ossetian Autonomous Oblast.

The deputy of the City and City-District Soviets of People’s Deputies shall be ensured other conditions for the unhampered and effective exercise of his rights and duties that are established by the legislation of the USSR, the Georgian SSR and in the Abkhaz ASSR and Adjarian ASSR by the legislation of the respective Autonomous Republic. 

(The Book of Georgian Laws, Vol. I. Tbilisi, 1985, p. 313-353)