THE CONSTITUTION (ORGANIC LAW) OF THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH OSSETIA adopted at the public referendum of the of the republic of South Ossetia on 8 April 2001

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Article 1.

1. The Republic of South Ossetia is a sovereign democratic state based on law, which has been established by the right of nation to self-determination.

2. The sovereignty bearer and sole source of authority in the Republic of South Ossetia shall be its people.

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Article 2.

1. The Constitution of the Republic of South Ossetia shall have a superior legal force and direct effect.

2. The laws and other legal acts that do not comply with the Constitution, are unlawful and legally void.

Article 3.

1. The Republic of South Ossetia independently determines its legal status, decides the political, economic, social and cultural issues.

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3. The territory of the Republic of South Ossetia is inviolable and inalienable. Protection of sovereignty and territorial integrity is the most important function of the state.

4. The territory, status and the borders of the Republic of South Ossetia shall not be changed without consent of the people.

Article 4.

1. The official language of the Republic of South Ossetia is Ossetian language. The state authorities of the Republic of South Ossetia are responsible to secure and develop Ossetian language.

2. The Russian language, equally with the Ossetian language, and at the places of compact settlement of Georgians - the Georgian language shall be recognized as a language of State and other institutions.

Article 8.

1. The Republic of South Ossetia establishes its relations with the Republic of North Ossetia-Alania on the basis of ethnic, national, historical-territorial unity and social-economic integration.

Article 10.

1. The Republic of South Ossetia is authorized to enter in alliance with other states and delegate to the Union organs the part of its authority.

Article 11.

1. The foreign policy of the Republic of South Ossetia shall be based on the following principles:

2. Striving for common and just peace;

3. Mutual-beneficial cooperation;

4. Joining the collective security systems;

5. Membership of international organizations and other unions;

6. Universally recognized principles and international norms, as well as international treaties of the Republic of South Ossetia shall be the basis of relations with other states.

Article 16.

1. The Republic of South Ossetia shall have its own citizenship.

3. Double-citizenship is admissible in the Republic of South Ossetia.

Article 17.

The Republic of South Ossetia shall have its own symbols - a national flag, a National Emblem, and a national anthem, the description of which shall be established by constitutional laws.

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Article 18.

The Republic of South Ossetia recognizes and secures human rights and freedoms of citizens pursuant to the universally recognized principles and norms of international law and in compliance of this Constitution.

Article 47.

1. The President of the Republic of South Ossetia is the Head of State and the Head of executive power.

2. The President of the Republic of South Ossetia shall observe the Constitution of the South Ossetia, rights and freedoms of citizens. He shall ensure the state sovereignty, security and territorial intergrity. He shall ensure, by his arbitration, the proper functioning of the public authorities and their poroper interaction.

3. The President of the Republic of South Ossetia shall determine domestic and foreign policy of the state in compliance with the Constitution and other laws of the South Ossetia.

4. The President of the Republic of South Ossetia, as the Head of State, represents the Republic in the country and at international levels.

Article 48.

Any citizen of the Republic of South Ossetia can be elected President who is not younger than 35 has the right to vote, is eligible to be elected, knows the state language and lives on the territory of South Ossetia not less than 10 years.

Article 50.

The President of the Republic of South Ossetial:

1. Exercises general guidance of the internal and foreign policy;

3. Approves the structure of the Government of the Republic of South Ossetia;

4. Appoints the Chairman of the Government of the Republic of South Ossetia upon the consent of the Parliament of the South Ossetia and dismisses him/her informing the Parliament of the South Ossetia;

6. Appoints and dismisses the members of Government of the Republic of South Ossetia and the heads of state agencies.

7. Appoints and dismisses the heads of administrations of cities and districts upon the consent of relevant Councils of Deputies;

18. Leads negotiations and Sign inter-state and international treaties and agreements;

25. Forms and leads the Security Council;

26. Approves the military doctrine of the Republic of South Ossetia;

27. Is the Commander-in-Chief of the Military Force of the Republic of South Ossetia;

28. Appoints and dismiss supreme commanders of the military forces of the Republic of South Ossetia...

Article 56.

The Parliament of the Republic of South Ossetia is the Supreme Representative and legislative organ of the Republic of South Ossetia.

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Article 64.

The parliament of the Republic of South Ossetia:

17. Ratifies and denounces international Agreements of the Republic of South Ossetia;

18. Approves the decision on dislocation of military formations of other states on the territory of the South Ossetia.

Article 73.

1. The Government of the Republic of South Ossetia is the supreme corporate state organ of the unified system of executive power in the Republic of South Ossetia.

2. The Government of the Republic of South Ossetia comprises: the Chairman of the Government, the Deputy Chairmen of the Government, Ministers, Chairmen of the State Committees and the Committee of State Security of the Republic of South Ossetia. as well as the heads of Administration of the President and the Government.

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Article 77.

1. The justice in the Republic of South Ossetia is exercised solely through the Courts.

2. The justice is exercised through the constitutional, arbitrage, civil, administrative and criminal court proceedings.

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Article 82.

1. The control over the compliance of the laws and other legal acts of the Republic of South Ossetia with the Constitution of South Ossetia is exercised by the Constitutional Court of the Republic of South Ossetia.

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Article 86.

1. The Procuracy of the Republic of South Ossetia, on behalf of the state, performs capital prosecution, supervises unified and exact application of the laws, Presidential Decrees and other normative legal acts on the whole territory of the Republic of South Ossetia.

2. The prosecutors offices of the Republic of South Ossetia is one, centralized system subordinating inferior prosecutors to the Prosecutor General of the Republic of South Ossetia.

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8 April 2001

(Newspaper “Youzhnaia Ossetia”, # 33, 21 April 2001)