TO THE SUPREME COUNCIL OF THE NORTH OSSETIAN SOVIET SOCIALIST REPUBLIC

In response of your protest regarding the Decree of the Supreme Council of the Republic of Georgia of 11 December 1990 on abolishing the Autonomous Oblast of South Ossetia I find necessary to state the following:

1. The decision of the Supreme Council of the Republic of Georgia is lawful in both, moral-political and legal point of view of which I stated in my report at the session of the Supreme Council, and which was published in newspaper “Zaria Vostoka” of 14 December 1990.

2. Although the decision on creating South Ossetian Autonomous Oblast is at variance with the universally recognized legal norms of that time, which do not recognize the minority tight to establish the political autonomy, the South Ossetian Autonomous Oblast was artificially created, and on the genuine Georgian territory, embracing villages with Georgian population and the borders of Tskhinvali city, thus violating the rights of the only titular population of Shida Kartli region.

3. Let me draw your attention to the fact that despite unlawfulness of establishing the South Ossetian Autonomous Oblast, the rights of Ossetian population never have been violated, on the contrary, they had opportunity to develop their culture, economy, political self-governance at the local level – which may not apply to the situation of Ossetians residing in the North Ossetian Soviet Socialist Republic.

4. Despite of all these advantages, which they have gained at the expense of Georgian population, the group of separatists has taken the course to the establishment of an independent republic in this region. This aspiration has been reflected in the decisions made by the Oblast Council announcing the “sovereign republic”, also in the elections of the so called Supreme Council of the said republic.

The leaders of the Oblast neglected many of instructions of the Supreme Council of the Republic of Georgia; therefore, it has become necessary to take decisive steps for maintaining territorial integrity of the Republic of Georgia and for restoring the historical truth.

And finally, I find necessary to draw your attention to the tone of your protest, which distorts the factual circumstances of the case. All of these represent the rough intervention in the domestic affairs of our republic that may entail rather unwanted consequences. Such development may breed tension and provoke the confrontation between our republics. In the case of such development the burden of responsibility comes to leadership of the Soviet Socialist Autonomous Republic of North Ossetia.

Chairman of the Supreme Council of the Republic of Georgia Z. Gamsakhurdia

(Newspaper “Abkhazetis Khma” /Voice of Abkhazia/, # 248, 28 December 1990)