Azerbaijan marks Constitution Day
Azerbaijan marked the Constitution Day on Monday. The document adopted in 1995 was the first Constitution of the republic, which gained independence from the Soviet Union in 1991.
The Azerbaijan Democratic Republic, which existed for only 23 months until the Soviet Red Army's invasion in 1920, did not have such a set of laws. The history of the Constitution of the Azerbaijan Republic thus dates back to the period when Azerbaijan was a Soviet republic.
The first Constitution of Azerbaijan was adopted on May 19, 1921 at the All-Azerbaijan Soviets Congress. The new version of the Constitution of Azerbaijan SSR complied with the 1921 Constitution of the USSR.The final Constitution of Azerbaijan SSR, adopted on April 21, 1978, was fitted to the Constitution of the USSR like the previous one.
After Azerbaijan gained its independence, the need arose to develop a new Constitution. A commission headed by President Heydar Aliyev was established for the purpose. A draft of the Constitution was presented to a referendum. The first Constitution of independent Azerbaijan was passed in a referendum on November 12, 1995.