Taking another step in his political-reform plans, President Boris Yeltsin today ordered that a new constitution be put to a national vote on Dec. 12.
Yeltsin had wavered between having Russia's new parliament approve the proposed constitution, which will replace the Soviet-era document now in force, or submitting the new charter to the people.The referendum will be held on the same day as elections for a new parliament. Presidential elections are expected to be held next June.
Plans for the new constitution were a source of conflict between Yeltsin and hard-line lawmakers, who had opposed many of the democratic aspects of the president's draft.
By obtaining public approval, Yeltsin can avoid discussion by the new parliament on the constitution, which will take effect as soon as the referendum results are published.
A top Yeltsin aide said a draft charter should be ready by the end of October, when it will be forwarded to the president.
The referendum will pose a single question: "Do you approve the constitution of the Russian Federation?"
The new constitution combines features of both the American and French constitutions. It will govern relations between the central government and the regions and a strong presidency.
The old constitution, adopted during former Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev's rule, suffered from several major defects which made it ill-suited for Russia's fledgling democracy.
Under the old constitution, relations between the executive and the legislative branch were not clearly defined and did not need to be since the Communist Party made the most important decisions.
Yeltsin effectively suspended the constitution on Sept. 21 by dissolving the parliament and calling for new elections, a move that is not provided for in the constitution.
The move against the hard-liners in parliament triggered a political crisis that was resolved only on Oct. 4 when the army used tanks to pound hard-line lawmakers who had holed up in parliament.