The Prosecutor General's Office is not satisfied with its 37 articles

regional policy Today, the civil panel of the Supreme Court of Tatarstan will consider the application of Deputy Prosecutor General of the Russian Federation Alexander Zvyagintsev to recognize the provisions of the articles of the republic’s constitution as contrary to federal legislation. Previously, the deputy prosecutor general's claims related to 52 articles of the basic law of Tatarstan. Now he has reduced the claims and insists on recognizing the provisions of 19 articles as contrary to the laws of the Russian Federation and another 18 as invalid.
For the first time, Alexander Zvyagintsev’s application was received by the Supreme Court of Tatarstan in early October 2002. The Deputy Prosecutor General asked to recognize the provisions of 52 articles of the local constitution as contrary to federal legislation, ineffective and not subject to application. In November, the court rejected the application, noting that Mr. Zvyagintsev did not indicate, in particular, from what time the Prosecutor General’s Office was asking to recognize certain provisions of the constitution as contrary to federal legislation.
As Midhat Kurmanov, chairman of the permanent commission of the State Council of Tatarstan on issues of legislation, legality, regulations and parliamentary ethics, told a Kommersant correspondent, Mr. Zvyagintsev still asks the court to recognize the provisions of the articles on Tatar citizenship as contradictory to federal legislation. In addition, we are talking about the limits of authority, where the republic enters into international and foreign economic relations, and also rejects war as a means of resolving disputes. The Prosecutor General's Office also protested some provisions regulating the activities of the president, state council, government and constitutional court of the republic.
According to Alexander Zvyagintsev, the norm requiring a candidate for president of the republic to know two state languages: Russian and Tatar, falls into the category of invalid ones. Alexander Zvyagintsev also insists on invalidating Article 1 of the Constitution of Tatarstan, which establishes the status and sovereignty of the republic (see reference). At the same time, the Prosecutor General's Office asks to confirm the invalidity of the provisions of the local constitution, establishing that the bearer of sovereignty and the only source of power in the republic is its people and that the coat of arms, flag and anthem of Tatarstan are official symbols expressing the sovereignty of the republic, the identity and traditions of the people.
Let us recall that last week the constitutional court of the republic announced its decision in the case on the interpretation of the concept of sovereignty in Article 1 of the Tatar constitution. The court found that Tataria may have limited sovereignty. According to Midhat Kurmanov, this decision will help the State Council of the Republic in defending its positions in the legal confrontation with the Prosecutor General's Office.
At the same time, Mr. Kurmanov told Kommersant that “apparently, we will have to agree” with Mr. Zvyagintsev’s claims regarding a number of articles during the trial. The deputy categorically refused to explain what exactly he was talking about. But he agreed to say which points Tataria “will not give up under any circumstances.” According to Mr. Kurmanov, we are talking, in particular, about Tatarstan’s own citizenship (see reference).
SHAMIL Kommersant-IDIATULLIN, IRINA Kommersant-SIMONOVA, Kazan

Newspaper "Kommersant" No. 24 dated 02.12.2003, p. 4

The Tatar Constitution is being tried again