REVIEW OF THE DRAFT CONSTITUTION 1978 OF GEORGIA IN THE WRITERS’ UNION OF GEORGIA

Abstract

In 1977 the new constitution of the Union of the Soviet Socialist Republics came into force which was called “the Real Manifest of the Developed Socialism”. Adoption of the Soviet Union Constitution itself meant development of a new constitution of the Republics of the Soviet Union including Soviet Socialist Republic of Georgia afterwards and its conformity with the USSR Constitution.
On the 1st of July, 1977 the Supreme Board of the Soviet Socialist Republic of Georgia made a resolution according to which the commission was created for preparing the draft Constitution of the Soviet Socialist Republic of Georgia led by Eduard Shevardnadze, the first Secretary of the Central Committee of Communist Party of Georgia.
On the 24th of March, 1978 the draft of the new constitution of SSR of Georgia was published in the Georgian press where unlike the previous constitution Georgian language had been deprived of the status of the state language (Article 75). Comprehensive-public discussion regarding the draft constitution was launched. The draft constitution was reviewed in all institutions of the country including the Writers’ Union of Georgia. We have detected the shorthand record completely reflecting the discussion process on the draft constitution of Georgia in the Writers’ Union of Georgia.
On the 11th of April, 1978 the open meeting was held in order to discourse the draft constitution of Georgia in the Writers’ Union of Georgia. According to the Akaki Bakradze’s explanation, only those members of the Writers’ Union were
informed about the meeting who would be persuaded much easier. Moris Potskhishvili and Jansul Charkviani were spreading rumor that the appointed meeting was only party-related. This method partially worked. At first the meeting was attended by up to forty people. Though gradually the hall became crowded and there were even non-members of the Writers’ Union, most of them were youth.
The key discussion at the meeting was held concerning the Article 75 of the draft. Part of the writers were uncompromising and demanded to insert the term “state language” in the draft, while others supported the interim position and they considered it was possible to write down the status “Language of the Republic” in the draft that to their mind would avoid confrontation between the society and the Soviet government. Akaki Bakradze set the proposal to solve the issue by voting which was disagreed by the chairman of the Writers’ Union – Grigol Abashidze. Finally, the meeting finished so that neither resolution was adopted nor voting was held for any proposal. Getting familiar with the shorthand record convinced us that despite the great attempt of the Presidium Members of the Writers’ Union the Georgian writers did not approve the Article 75 of the draft Constitution of Georgia that deprived of the status of the state language to Georgian language.