According to the new version of the Basic Law, Tatarstan no longer has the post of president or sovereignty, which was held by the multinational people.

What other powers did Tatarstan lose after changing the Constitution - in the material "Idel.

Realities".

On January 26, the President of Tatarstan, Rustam Minikhanov, signed the Law "On Amendments to the Constitution of the Republic of Tatarstan".

The law enters into force 10 days after its official publication (February 6).

The project was adopted by the deputies of the State Council at the meeting on January 26.

In the final reading, 73 deputies supported the amendment, 9 voted against it, and one abstained.

There was no discussion of the bill at the session.

Speaker of the State Council Farid Mukhametshin insisted "not to politicize" this issue.

Minikhanov ceases to be the president before the end of his term of office

The main change introduced by the new law is the name of the highest official of the republic.

In December of last year, the deputies decided that the new position will be called "head - Rais of the Republic of Tatarstan" (rais in Arabic means boss or chairman).

However, then they provided for a transitional situation: the title "president" remains until the end of the term of the incumbent Rustam Minikhanov, who is elected president until 2025.

However, on January 26, as Albert Khabibulin reported, the new name — head (rais) — will be applied immediately after the amendments come into force.

According to him, the decision was made "after additional consultations", apparently with the federal center.

On January 23, Rustam Minikhanov met with the President of Russia, Vladimir Putin.

Perhaps the closed part of the meeting was devoted to the question of the Constitution.

Albert Khabibulin

The first article was changed without a referendum

From Article 1 of the Constitution of Tatarstan, references to sovereignty and agreements on the separation of powers have been removed.

"The Republic of Tatarstan is a democratic state governed by the rule of law within the Russian Federation," says the new edition.

Before that, Tatarstan was a state "united with the Russian Federation by the Constitution of the Russian Federation, the Constitution of the Republic of Tatarstan and the Treaty."

Instead of sovereignty, the term "statehood" appears.

It is manifested in the possession of the republic "with all the fullness of state power outside the boundaries of the Russian Federation and the powers of the Russian Federation in matters of joint management of the Russian Federation and the Republic of Tatarstan, the presence of its territory, population, system of state authorities, its Constitution and legislation, state languages ​​and state symbols of the Republic of Tatarstan".

It is noteworthy that Article 123 remains in the Constitution, which prohibits changing Article 1 without holding a referendum.

However, in December 2022, deputies of the State Council added part 3 of article 124 to the Constitution, which allows to change article 1 without taking into account the requirement to hold a referendum.

In fact, these articles contradict each other.

There is no more sovereignty

The mention of sovereignty is also excluded from other articles of the Constitution of Tatarstan.

For example, in Article 3, a multinational people is no longer "the bearer of sovereignty".

"Power in the Republic of Tatarstan is exercised by its multi-national people directly, as well as through state authorities and local self-government bodies," says the new version of the document.

Also, the word "sovereignty" is excluded from Article 94, where it was previously stated that the president of Tatarstan ensures the sovereignty of the republic.

In Article 121, the coat of arms, flag and anthem of Tatarstan now reveal not sovereignty, but statehood.

Also, mentions of the contract are excluded from most of the articles.

There remains only the norm that "an agreement on the demarcation of subjects of management and powers" may be concluded in the future.

The meeting of the State Council of Tatarstan on January 26, 2023, at which amendments to the Constitution were adopted.

Tatarstan no longer has citizenship and does not reject war

Article 21 on the citizenship of Tatarstan is completely null and void.

"A citizen of the Russian Federation who permanently resides on the territory of the Republic of Tatarstan is a citizen of the Republic of Tatarstan," this article stated earlier.

Article 15, which stated that "the Republic of Tatarstan rejects violence and war as a means of resolving disputes between states and peoples," and "propaganda of war is prohibited," is also being removed.

This norm also disappears: "Public associations have the right to participate in the management of state affairs through their representatives in elected bodies of state power and local self-government bodies."

Also, the provision that "arrest, take into custody and detention in custody are allowed only by court decision" is excluded.

The proposal that "consumers have the right to compensation for damage caused by producers of goods and services in the manner established by law" is removed.

The head of Tatarstan does not necessarily know the Tatar language

In the new edition of the Constitution of Tatarstan, there is no longer a requirement that a candidate for the position of the president of the republic should speak the state languages ​​- Russian and Tatar.

In the new edition, it is only stated that the head (rais) "uses state languages ​​when exercising his powers."

But it does not follow that the head of the republic knows the language.

The Constitution contains the text of the oath, which the president pronounces upon taking office:

"I solemnly swear to faithfully serve the multinational people of the Republic of Tatarstan, to ensure the rights and freedoms of citizens, to comply with the Constitution of the Russian Federation and the Constitution of the Republic of Tatarstan, federal laws and laws of the Republic of Tatarstan, to conscientiously fulfill the high duties assigned to me by the Head (Rais) of the Republic of Tatarstan."

The head (rais) of Tatarstan gets the authority to dismiss the heads of districts and city districts.

At the same time, the head of Tatarstan himself may resign due to the loss of trust in the Russian president.

  • There are also other important changes.

    For example, the inviolability of Tatarstan State Council deputies is abolished, and the Constitutional Court is transformed into a constitutional council.

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