LAW of the Republic of Georgia on Abolition of the Autonomous Oblast of the South Ossetia

The separatist forces active in the Autonomous Oblast of the South Ossetia are seeking through the creation of the so-called “ Soviet Republic of South Ossetia” to usurp the state power, violate territorial integrity of the Republic of Georgia and separate its historical and integral part from Georgia. Such actions contradict not only the Constitution of the Republic of Georgia, but also the Constitution of the USSR and basic principles of the International Law.

Despite the numerous warnings of the supreme Authorities of the Republic of Georgia aimed to put an decisive end to the illegal actions undertaken by the self-proclaimed authorities of the Autonomous Oblast, on November 9, separatists held elections of the Supreme Council of the so called “ Soviet Republic of South Ossetia”, thereby posing serious threat to the territorial integrity of the Republic of Georgia.

Taking into consideration the fact that the Autonomous Oblast of South Ossetia was established in 1922 in full disrespect of the local Georgian population and contradicted the best interest of the Georgian people and bearing in mind the fact that the Ossetian people have their statehood on their historical homeland - the North Ossetia and that only insignificant portion of ethnic Ossetians live in the Autonomous Oblast of South Ossetia, where they enjoy, and will continue enjoying wide cultural autonomy rights, pursuant to the paragraphs 3 and 11 of Article 104 of the Constitution of the Republic of Georgia, the Supreme Council of the Republic of Georgia decrees:

1. To abolish the Autonomous Oblast of South Ossetia.

2. To abolish the Council of Peoples’ Deputies of the Autonomous Oblast of South Ossetia, its executive and steering body - the Executive Committee and other state bodies of the Autonomous Oblast.

3. To declare invalidated the Decree # 2 of 20 April 1922 adopted by the Georgian Central Executive Committee and the Council of Peoples’ Commissars of Georgia on “Establishment of the Autonomous Oblast of South Ossetia” and the Georgian SSR law on “The Autonomous Oblast of South Ossetia”.

4. To endorse previous decisions of the highest Authorities of the Republic of Georgian on anti-constitutionality of decisions made by the separatists on declaring the Autonomous Oblast of South Ossetia the Soviet Republic of South Ossetia.

To declare as illegal and invalidated the elections of the Supreme Council of the so-called “the Soviet Republic of South Ossetia” held on 9 December 1990.

5. The special Commission on the Rule of Law and Protection of Legal Acts of the Supreme Council of the Republic of Georgia shall submit proposals on introduction of necessary amendments to the Constitution and other legal acts of the Republic of Georgia.

6. The Council of Ministers of the Republic of Georgia shall:

- submit its proposals to the Supreme Council of the Republic of Georgia on administrative-territorial arrangement of the former Autonomous Oblast of South Ossetia;

- carry out all necessary measures, envisaged by the Georgian legislature, to secure public order on the territory of the former Autonomous Oblast of South Ossetia and prevent self-declared, illegal separatist bodies from carrying out their destructive activities;

- secure full conformity of decisions of the Georgian Government with this law.

1. The Prosecutor’s Office of the Republic of Georgia shall discuss and make decision on bringing to justice those individuals who have disobeyed the decision of the supreme authorities of Georgia, grossly violated Constitutionally defined rules and procedures of elections and abused power of office.

2. This law shall come into force immediately upon adoption.

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

11 December 1990

(Bulletin of the Supreme Council of Georgia, 1990, # 12, p. 10-12)