Today marks Constitution Day in Azerbaijan

Today marks the 30th anniversary of the adoption of Azerbaijan's Constitution, the country's main law, Report informs.

The Constitution was adopted 30 years ago, on November 12, 1995, through a nationwide referendum. It was the first Constitution of independent Azerbaijan following the restoration of the country's sovereignty.

The first Constitution of the Azerbaijani state was adopted on May 19, 1921, at the First All-Azerbaijan Congress of Soviets. A revised version of the Azerbaijani SSR Constitution, aligned with the 1921 USSR Constitution, was approved on March 14, 1925, at the Fourth Congress of Soviets. The last Soviet-era Constitution of the Azerbaijani SSR, adopted on April 21, 1978, while based on the USSR Constitution, also included certain distinctive features.

After the restoration of independence, significant work began on drafting a new Constitution. In 1994, under the leadership of President Heydar Aliyev, a Constitutional Commission was established, and the draft was later submitted for public discussion. On November 12, 1995, Azerbaijan's first independent Constitution was adopted through a nationwide referendum.

The current Constitution consists of five sections, twelve chapters, and 158 articles. Amendments and additions were made via referendums on August 24, 2002; March 18, 2009; and September 26, 2016.

On February 6, 1996, by an order of President Heydar Aliyev, November 12 was officially declared Constitution Day in Azerbaijan.