Joint Statement

JOINT STATEMENT

of the Presidium of Supreme Soviet of Tatar SSR, Cabinet of Ministers of Tatar SSR, Tatar Regional Committee of the CPSU, Tatar Regional Trade Union, Tatar Regional Committee of the YCL
on the participation of the Republic of Tatarstan in signing the Union Treaty

To the President of the USSR, Comrade M.S.Gorbachev

To the Presidium of Supreme Soviet of the USSR

To the Committee of Constitutional Supervision

To the Presidium of Supreme Soviet of the RSFSR

To the presidiums of other union republics

On April 25, 1991 the joint statement of leaders from 9 union republics and the President of the USSR "On urgent measures to stabilize the situation in the state and overcoming the crisis" has been published. People of the sovereign Republic of Tatarstan shares the anxiety of this statement engendered by the deepening crisis of our society, which has affected political, economic and social spheres of our life. Peoples of Tatarstan support the statement and its aim of analyzing the current situation, of recognizing not only the historical miscalculations, difficulties of the transitional period, but also mistakes made during the period of "Perestroyka", the main goal of which is the restoration of historical justice. However, separate provisions of this Statement on methods to overcome the current crisis do not suit us. Standing for the restoration of constitutional order everywhere, the participants to the Statement contradict existing laws, specifically the Law "On delimitation of authorities between the USSR and federational subjects", as well as the Resolution of IV Congress of USSR people's deputies "On general conception of a new Union Treaty and order of its signing". The Statement on signing the Union Treaty by the "delegations of mentioned republics" in essence keeps the Republic of Tatarstan out of its signing, although the Union Treaty was drafted together with plenipotentiaries of 9 union and all former autonomous republics. Actually the narrow circle of the leaders of union republics is going to determine the fate of Tatarstan and other autonomous republics, which at the referendum on March 17,1991 voted for the new Union of equal sovereign republics.

The rulings of the Supreme Soviet of Tatar SSR, issued after the Declaration on State Sovereignty, have the aim of considering the Republic of Tatarstan as independent co-founder on equal terms with union republics. This standing is not a separative one. Its aim is to stop the division into the union and autonomous republics and to consolidate the USSR as the Union of equal republics. Tatar SSR has a developed economy, positive export and import balance, high level of economy integration with all republics of the USSR. An attempt to preserve today the old organizational structures is a return to the national-state form of society's political organization, which is not correct. Our standing doesn't mean the severance of historical ties with Russia. The session of Tatarstan's Supreme Soviet has decided to strengthen these ties with the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic on the basis of agreement.

The intention of Tatarstan to be a co-founder of the USSR was expressed already in 1922, then in 1936 when the new USSR Constitution was adopted. However, Stalin's personal opinion was an obstacle to the will of Tatarstan people. Attempts to change Tatarstan's status were also made in 60-th an 70-th. At last, on August 30,1990 the Supreme Soviet of Tatarstan unanimously adopted the "Declaration on state sovereignty of the Tatar Soviet Socialist Republic, which has become the form of inter ethnic and civil peace in the republic.

As a result of legal and organizational prerequisites appeared over the last years the Republic of Tatarstan has gone from an autonomous to sovereign statehood that doesn't contradict the Constitution of the USSR. Therefore, any attempt to ignore the reality is untenable and eliminates "strict observance of laws" and contradicts principles of the building of law-abiding state. This part of joint statement doesn't only belittle the sovereignty, but also humiliates the dignity of Tatarstan peoples. Empowered by peoples' will, expressed at the all-union referendum, by the Declaration on state sovereignty we state the strong determination of the Republic of Tatarstan to sign the Union Treaty directly and independently.

Kazan, May 8, 1991