The letter read, in part:
“Harmonising federal and regional legislation must apply to all the laws pertaining to the relations between the Russian Federation and the Republic of Bashkortostan, the main one being the Treaty on the Delimitation of Jurisdictions and Mutual Delegation of Powers between the Government Bodies of the Russian Federation and the Republic of Bashkortostan.
“I believe that the first step towards solving that problem may be harmonising with federal legislation of those provisions of the Constitution of the Republic of Bashkortostan which have no basis in the provisions of the Treaty.”
The head of state identified some articles in the Constitution of Bashkiria that “contradict the principles of the federal system, including the principle whereby the Russian Federation has state sovereignty over its entire territory and the Constitution of the Russian Federation and federal laws prevail over its entire territory.”
The letter notes that Articles 74, 76 and 95 of the Constitution of Bashkiria “propose that the Republic of Bashkortostan become a subject under international law, including independent conduct of international and foreign trade relations, participation in inter-state associations, conclusion of international treaties, exchange of diplomatic consular and other missions and the right of the President of the Republic of Bashkortostan to appoint the corresponding representatives.”
But, as the letter argues, “such a scope of powers of the Republic of Bashkortostan in the exercise of the international and foreign trade links is not warranted by the Constitution of the Russian Federation and goes beyond the rights granted by the Treaty between the Russian Federation and the Republic of Bashkortostan.”
The head of state also pointed out the contradictions between the republican and federal laws on issues of human rights and civil freedoms, citizenship, the exercise by citizens of their passive electoral rights in the elections of the President of the Republic of Bashkortostan, in the field of currency and customs regulation, the strengthening of the monetary and credit system, local regulations, including ownership, possession and disposal of municipal property, the appointment of the Prosecutor of the Republic of Bashkortostan, which is the prerogative of the state power bodies of the republic.
The letter notes that under Section 24, Article 88 and Section 15 Article 95 of the Constitution of the Republic of Bashkortostan “the President of the Republic of Bashkortostan has the right to introduce a state of emergency in the republic or parts thereof, and the State Assembly has the right to approve the corresponding decree of the President of the Republic of Bashkortostan. These provisions contradict Articles 56, 88 and 102 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation.”
“As the guarantor of the Constitution of the Russian Federation I propose that the State Assembly of the Republic of Bashkortostan take the necessary measures to harmonise the said provision of the Constitution of the Republic of Bashkortostan with the Constitution of the Russian Federation,” the letter concludes.