Official letter

OFFICIAL LETTER

to the President of the Russian Federation, Yeltsin B.N.
on the draft of the Constitution of the Russian Federation

Determining its attitude to the draft of the Constitution of the Russian Federation, the Republic of Tatarstan bases on documents, adopted by the Supreme Soviet of the Republic of Tatarstan, in particular on "The Declaration on the state sovereignty of the Republic of Tatarstan" and the new "Constitution of the Republic of Tatarstan". According to these documents relations between the Republic of Tatarstan and the Russian Federation have a constitutional-treaty nature. Article 61 of the Constitution of the Republic of Tatarstan proclaims: "The Republic of Tatarstan is a sovereign state, a subject of the international law, associated with the Russian Federation - Russia on the basis of the Treaty on mutual delegation of authorities and subjects under jurisdiction."

In accordance with the new Tatarstan's Constitution the Supreme Soviet of the Republic of Tatarstan applies to Russian Supreme state bodies with the proposal "to constitute provision on constitutional-treaty relations between the Republic of Tatarstan and the Russian Federation - Russia in the Russian Constitution. But till now we haven't got an official answer.

More than once Russia's leaders made statements on the adherence to the democracy and formation of a statehood, taking into account the will of peoples and republics. The will of Tatarstan's people, its political priorities, priorities of a sovereign state, were legitimately expressed during the elections of the President of the Republic of Tatarstan in June 1990, at the referendum on the legal-state status of the Republic of Tatarstan on March 21, 1992 ("Yes" said 61,4% of electors). It is known that the Russian referendum of April 25, 1993 in the Republic of Tatarstan had no results, (because only 22,8% of electors came to the referendum). Political factors must be taken into consideration in the determination of constitutional relations between the Republic of Tatarstan and the Russian Federation.

Negotiations between the official delegations of the Tatarstan Republic and the Russian Federation on conclusion of the Treaty on mutual delegation of authorities and subjects under jurisdiction are held according to the mutual initiative of the President of Russia, B.N.Yeltsin, and the President of the Republic of Tatarstan, M.Sh.Shaimiev, with the participation of the representatives of the Supreme Soviets and Governments. The drafts of the corresponding Treaty and series of agreements were prepared during this period. However, recently the process of negotiation was frozen and it's not Tatarstan's fault; the reached agreements are not implemented. All this makes doubt citizens of the Republic of Tatarstan and foreign representatives about the adherence of Russia's leadership to the ideas of the Declaration on state sovereignty of the Russian Federation and reform of the Federation according to the new democratic principals. Furthermore, this uncertain state in regulation of our bilateral relations can give troubles in the future process of formation of new Russia's power structures and authorities, and also to the absence of the representatives of the Republic of Tatarstan in Federal structures. The Republic of Tatarstan considers that it's high time to recognize officially its new state status and include a special provision on the constitutional-treaty relations between the Russian Federation and the Republic of Tatarstan on the basis of association, registered in the form of Treaty and bilateral agreements to the draft of the new Constitution of the Russian Federation.

Shaimiev M.Sh.,
President of of the Republic of Tatarstan

Mukhametshin F.Kh.,
Chairman of the Supreme Soviet of the Republic of Tatarstan

Kazan, May 10, 1993