Chapter 9. Constitutional Amendments and Review of the Constitution

Article 134

Proposals on amendments and review of the provisions of the Constitution of the Russian Federation may be submitted by the President of the Russian Federation, the Council of the Federation, the State Duma, the Government of the Russian Federation, the legislative (representative) bodies of the subjects of the Russian Federation, and also by groups numbering not less than one fifth of the number of the members of the Council of the Federation or of the deputies of the State Duma.

Article 135

1. Provisions of Chapters 1, 2 and 9 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation may not be revised by the Federal Assembly.

2. If a proposal on the review of the provisions of Chapters 1, 2 and 9 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation is supported by three fifths of the total number of the members of the Council of the Federation and the deputies of the State Duma, then according to federal constitutional law a Constitutional Assembly shall be convened.

3. The Constitutional Assembly shall either confirm the invariability of the Constitution of the Russian Federation or draft a new Constitution of the Russian Federation, which shall be adopted by the Constitutional Assembly by two thirds of the total number of its members or submitted to a referendum. In case of a referendum the Constitution of the Russian Federation shall be considered adopted, if over half of the voters who came to the polls supported it and under the condition that over half of the electorate participated in the referendum.

Article 136

Amendments to the provisions of Chapters 3-8 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation shall be adopted according to the rules fixed for adoption of federal constitutional laws and come into force after they are approved by the bodies of legislative power of not less than two thirds of the subjects of the Russian Federation.

Article 137

1. Amendments in Article 65 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation determining the structure of the Russian Federation shall be introduced on the basis of the federal constitutional law on the admission to the Russian Federation and the creation of new subjects of the Russian Federation within it, on changes in the constitutional-legal status of a subject of the Russian Federation.

2. In case changes are made in the name of a Republic, territory, region, city of federal importance, autonomous region or autonomous area, the new name of the subject of the Russian Federation shall be included in Article 65 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation.

Second Section
Concluding and Transitional Provisions

1. The Constitution of the Russian Federation shall come into force from the moment of its official publication according to the results of a nationwide referendum.

The day of the nationwide referendum of December 12, 1993 shall be considered to be the day of adopting the Constitution of the Russian Federation.

Simultaneously the Constitution (Fundamental Law) of the Russian Federation - Russia, adopted on April 12, 1978 with all amendments and changes, shall become invalid.

In case of non-compliance with the Constitution of the Russian Federation of the provisions of the Federal treaty - the Treaty on the Division of Subjects of Jurisdiction and Powers Between the Federal Bodies of State Power of the Russian Federation and the Bodies of Authority of the Sovereign Republics within the Russian Federation, the Treaty on the Division of Subjects of Jurisdiction and Powers Between the Federal Bodies of State Power of the Russian Federation and the Bodies of Authority of the Territories, Regions, Cities of Moscow and St. Petersburg of the Russian Federation, the Treaty on the Division of Subjects of Jurisdiction and Powers Between the Federal Bodies of State Power of the Russian Federation and the Bodies of Authority of the Autonomous Region, and Autonomous Areas within the Russian Federation, and also other treaties concluded between the federal bodies of state authority of the Russian Federation and bodies of state authority of the subjects of the Russian Federation, treaties between the bodies of state authority of the subjects of the Russian Federation, the provisions of the Constitution of the Russian Federation shall be applicable.

2. The laws and other legal acts acting in the territory of the Russian Federation before the given Constitution comes into force shall be applied in that part which does not contradict the Constitution of the Russian Federation.

3. The President of the Russian Federation, elected according to the Constitution (Fundamental Law) of the Russian Federation - Russia, since the given Constitution comes into force, since carry out the powers fixed in it until the term of office for which he was elected expires.

4. The Council of Ministers (Government) of the Russian Federation from the moment when the given Constitution comes into force shall acquire the rights, obligations and responsibilities of the Government of the Russian Federation fixed by the Constitution of the Russian Federation and since then shall be called the Government of the Russian Federation.

5. The courts of the Russian Federation shall administer justice according to their powers fixed by the given Constitution.

After the Constitution comes into force, the judges of all the courts of the Russian Federation shall retain their powers until the term they were elected for expires. Vacant positions shall be filled in according to the rules fixed by the given Constitution.

6. Until the adoption and coming into force of the federal law establishing the rules for considering cases by a court of jury, the existing rules of court examination of corresponding cases shall be preserved.

Until the criminal procedure legislation of the Russian Federation is brought into conformity with the provisions of the present Constitution, the previous rules for arrest, detention and keeping in custody of people suspected of committing crime shall be preserved.

7. The Council of the Federation of the first convocation and the State Duma of the first convocation shall be elected for a period of two years.

8. The Council of the Federation shall meet in its first sitting on the thirtieth day after its election. The first sitting of the Council of the Federation shall be opened by the President of the Russian Federation.

9. A deputy of the State Duma of the first convocation may be simultaneously a member of the Government of the Russian Federation. The provisions of the present Constitution on the immunity of deputies in that part which concerns the actions (inaction) connected with fulfillment of office duties shall not extend to the deputies of the State Duma, members of the Government of the Russian Federation.

The deputies of the Council of the Federation of the first convocation shall exercise their powers on a non-permanent basis.