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Unit 6: Socio-Economic Bases and Salient Features of the Constitutions

3. Relations among the units of a republic may be regulated by a federal law or by a treaty Notes
between the government of the republic and the unit within it concerned.
4. The status of a constituent entity of the Russian Federation may be changed by mutual
agreement between the Russian Federation and the constituent entity of the Russian Federation
in accordance with federal constitutional law.
5. Russian language shall be the official language of the entire country. But the republics shall
have the right to have their own official language.
6. The constituent units of foe Federation have autonomy in respect of areas or matters which
are not covered under the exclusive and joint control of the Centre and the units as given
above.
7. No federal law or act should conflict with the provisions of the Federal Constitution and so no
law or act of any constituent unit should conflict with the Russian Constitution and the law or
act of the Centre.
8. With a view to encourage cooperation and coordination between the Federal and the constituent
units, it has been provided that they shall set up a kind of ‘unified system of executive
authority’.
9. The Centre is all-powerful in matters of circulation and stabilisation of currency.
10. The Russian Federation may participate in inter-state associations and transfer some of its
powers to those associations in accordance with international agreements, provided it does
not entail restrictions on human rights and freedoms and does not conflict with the basic
principles of the constitutional order of the Russian Federation.
The Russian federal system is in operation and sometimes we hear of the secessionist movements
in the units of Chechnya and Daghestan. Keeping it in view, a critic says that many of the disputed
issues between the regions and the Centre are not clearly resolved by the Constitution despite
general statements about jurisdiction and shared responsibilities. Since 1994, individual treaties
have been negotiated with some of the more recalcitrant republics within the Russian Federation
such as Tatarstan and Bashkortostan. The process involves a continued reliance on an individualised
ad hoc approach to constructing federalism, a process likely to endanger continuing perceptions
of favouritism and discrimination towards particular republics and regions.
Amendment and Revision of the Constitution
Constitution has provisions relating to its amendment and revision. These are:
1. Art. 134 says that such a proposal may be submitted by the President of the Federation, or by
the Federation Council, or by the State Duma, or by the Federal Government, or by the
legislative body of any constituent unit, or by groups consisting of not less than 1/5 of the
members of the Federation Council or of the deputies of the State Duma.
2. Art. 135 says that the provisions of Chapter 1 (Fundamental Principles of the Constitutional
Order) and of Chapter 2 (Human and Civil Rights and Freedoms) and of Chapter 9 may not
be revised by the Federal Assembly of Russia. In case such a proposal is supported by 3/5 of
the total number of the members of the Federation Council and of the State Duma, a
Constitutional Assembly shall be convened. It may either reject the proposal or adopt a new
draft by 2/3 majority of its total strength. After adoption., the draft shall be submitted for a
referendum in which more than half of the electorate must take part and the decision in its
favour must be supported by more than half of the voters taking part in it.
3. With regard to provisions contained in Chapters 3 to 8 of this Constitution, it is provided in
Art. 136 that a proposal to this effect shall be adopted in accordance with the procedure
established for the adoption of such a law and shall come into force after it has been approved
by the legislative authorities of not less than 2/3 of the constituent units of the Russian
Federation.
4. Finally, Art. 137 says that any amendment in Art. 65 of the Constitution (relating to the
composition of the Russian Federation) shall be introduced on the basis of a federal

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