Constitution of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea | |
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Ratified | October 21, 1998 (Crimea) December 23, 1998 (Ukraine) |
Repealed | April 11, 2014(disputed) |
Purpose | Establishing Crimea's status within Ukraine |
The constitution of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea (Ukrainian: Конституція Автономної Республіки Крим Konstytutsiya Avtonomnoyi Respubliky Krym; Russian: Конституция Автономной Республики Крым Konstitutsiya Avtonomnoy Respubliki Krym) is the basic law of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, a republic on the Crimean peninsula as part of Ukraine. The constitution establishes the republic's status and authority within Ukraine. It granted Crimea the right to draft a budget and manage its own property. The constitution was repealed by a disputed referendum during the 2014 Crimean crisis, after which the Republic of Crimea was established as a federal subject of Russia after the annexation of the peninsula. The Ukrainian government has refused to recognize the annexation of Crimea by Russia and still recognizes the constitution as active.
After a referendum on 20 January 1991, Crimea regained its status as an Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic. (Since this was months before the Declaration of Independence of Ukraine of 24 August 1991 (by December 1991 internationally recognized) Crimea was at the time part of the Ukrainian SSR which was one of the constituent republics of the Soviet Union.) In February 1992 the Crimean parliament transformed Crimea into "Republic of Crimea" and the Ukrainian government offered them more self-government. On 5 May 1992 parliament declared Crimea independent (which was yet to be approved by a referendum to be held 2 August 1992) and passed the first Crimean constitution the same day. On 6 May 1992 the same parliament inserted a new sentence into this constitution that declared that Crimea was part of Ukraine. The Ukrainian parliament convened on May 15, annulled the Crimean declaration of independence and gave the Crimean parliament one week to cancel the referendum. In June 1992 the parties reached a compromise and Crimea was given the status of "Autonomous Republic".