APPEAL OF THE PRESIDIUM OF THE SUPREME COUNCIL OF THE REPUBLIC OF GEORGIA TO THE SUPREME COUNCIL OF THE SOVIET SOCIALIST AUTONOMOUS REPUBLIC OF ABKHAZIA

We have learnt that the Presidium of the Abkhaz ASSR is going to submit to the session of the Supreme Council of the Abkhaz ASSR the bills, which grossly violate the sovereignty, territorial integrity and the supremacy of the Constitution of the Republic of Georgia, neglect the Constitution of the Republic of Georgia. They also contradict to the Constitution of the USSR, which recognizes the Abkhaz ASSR within the Republic of Georgia (article 83) and subordinates the autonomous republic under the jurisdiction of the Union republic, on the basis of the Constitution of the Union Republic.

Over many years there has been a disproportion between Georgian and Abkhaz representatives in the Supreme Council of the Abkhaz ASSR. Therefore, the genuine will of the whole autonomous republic is not reflected in the parliament. This situation gives the opportunity to the group of deputies to use the simple majority for adopting the laws and resolutions, neglecting the will of Georgian population, which is almost a half of the whole population of Abkhazia.

Another piece of evidence is the fact that non-democratic, forcible measures had been resorted to get the quorum for adopting so called Declaration on Abkahzia’s Sovereignty.

The Presidium of the Supreme Council of the Republic of Georgia underlines that the issues considered at the session are of the Constitutional importance and they should be adopted by 2/3 of qualified majority, like any other amendments to the Constitution of the Abkhaz ASSR. Only through such way it is possible to secure the legitimate rights of the whole population of the autonomous republic.

On the other hand, any act adopted by qualified majority, which goes beyond the competences of the Supreme Council of the Abkhaz ASSR and usurps the competences attached to the Republic of Georgia, may not have the legal force under the Constitution of the Republic of Georgia (articles 72, 79, 82, 104) and the Constitution of the Abkhaz ASSR (article 66).

The practice of deciding the issues - which are important for the viability of the Abkhaz ASSR and entire Georgian Republic, through the voting mechanisms and without bearing in mind the political and social realities - may cause catastrophic destabilization. For the consequences the whole of responsibility vests on the initiators of the action.

The presidium of the Republic of Georgia expresses its hope that the common sense will prevail and the Abkhaz ASSR will find its dignified place within the Republic of Georgia, enjoying the guarantees, which exist in the state of rule of law.

The Presidium of the Supreme Council of the Republic of Georgia

1 March 1991.

(Newspaper “Abkahzetis Khma” /Voice of Abkhazia/, # 34, 1 March 1991)