South Ossetia: two sets of law
South Ossetia governs itself; Georgia regards it as part of its territory. Here is what each side's own text says on the same questions, quoted and sourced. Solon does not say which is right.
Governs the place
Read the law of South Ossetia in Solon →Regards it as part of its territory
Solon does not hold the law of Georgia yet; the words below are quoted from the page named under each.
6 of 6 questions have words from both sides so far.
The territory
What territory does the text say the state consists of, and can it be changed?
South Ossetia
2. Республика Южная Осетия состоит из пяти административно-территориальных единиц: города Цхинвал, Дзауского, Знаурского, Ленингорского и Цхинвальского районов.
3. Территория Республики Южная Осетия неприкосновенна и неотчуждаема. […]
4. Территория, статус и границы Республики Южная Осетия не могут быть изменены без согласия ее народа.Translation: 2. The Republic of South Ossetia consists of five administrative-territorial units: the city of Tskhinval and the Dzau, Znaur, Leningor and Tskhinval districts. 3. The territory of the Republic of South Ossetia is inviolable and inalienable. […] 4. The territory, status and borders of the Republic of South Ossetia cannot be changed without the consent of its people.
Propose a change to this article →Georgia
Georgia is an independent, unified and indivisible state as confirmed by the Referendum of 31 March 1991 held in the entire territory of the country, including the Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic of Abkhazia and the former Autonomous Region of South Ossetia, and by the Act of Restoration of State Independence of Georgia of 9 April 1991. […] The alienation of the territory of the state of Georgia shall be prohibited.- Translated by Constitute Project (English translation; the authentic text is in Georgian)
- Constitute Project: Georgia's Constitution of 1995 with Amendments through 2018, English translation, as read · read 2026-11-10
The state territorial arrangement of Georgia shall be revised by a constitutional law of Georgia on the basis of the principle of the separation of powers after the complete restoration of the jurisdiction of Georgia over the entire territory of the country.- Translated by Constitute Project (English translation; the authentic text is in Georgian)
- Constitute Project: Georgia's Constitution of 1995 with Amendments through 2018, English translation, as read · read 2026-11-10
Who may propose a law
Who has the right to put a bill before the legislature, and can citizens do it themselves?
South Ossetia
Право законодательной инициативы принадлежит Президенту Республики Южная Осетия, депутатам Парламента Республики Южная Осетия, Правительству Республики Южная Осетия, а также Конституционному Суду Республики Южная Осетия, Верховному Суду Республики Южная Осетия, Генеральному прокурору Республики Южная Осетия и Центральной избирательной комиссии Республики Южная Осетия по вопросам их ведения.Translation: The right of legislative initiative belongs to the President of the Republic of South Ossetia, to the deputies of the Parliament of the Republic of South Ossetia, to the Government of the Republic of South Ossetia, and to the Constitutional Court, the Supreme Court, the Prosecutor General and the Central Electoral Commission of the Republic of South Ossetia on matters within their competence.
Propose a change to this article →Georgia
The Government, a Member of Parliament, a parliamentary faction, a parliamentary committee, the supreme representative bodies of the Autonomous Republics of Abkhazia and Ajara, and not less than 25 000 voters shall have the right of legislative initiative.- Translated by Constitute Project (English translation; the authentic text is in Georgian)
- Constitute Project: Georgia's Constitution of 1995 with Amendments through 2018, English translation, as read · read 2026-11-10
Taxes
At what rates are a person's income, a company's profit and a sale taxed?
South Ossetia
1. Налоговая ставка устанавливается в размере 12 процентов, если иное не предусмотрено настоящей статьей.Translation: 1. The tax rate is set at 12 percent, unless this article provides otherwise.
Propose a change to this article →1. Налоговая ставка устанавливается в размере 20 процентов, за исключением случаев, предусмотренных пунктами 2 - 6 настоящей статьи.Translation: 1. The tax rate is set at 20 percent, except in the cases provided by paragraphs 2 to 6 of this article.
Propose a change to this article →3. Налогообложение производится по налоговой ставке 10 процентов в случаях, не указанных в пунктах 1, 2 и 4 настоящей статьи.Translation: 3. Tax is charged at the rate of 10 percent in the cases not named in paragraphs 1, 2 and 4 of this article.
Propose a change to this article →Georgia
Personal income is subject to a flat tax rate of 20%.The CIT rate is a flat 15%. […] From 1 January 2017, Georgia adopted the Estonian model of CIT, under which retained profits are no longer taxable until they are distributed.The standard VAT rate is 18%Citizenship
May a citizen hold another citizenship, and can citizenship be taken away?
South Ossetia
1. Республика Южная Осетия имеет свое гражданство.
2. Гражданин Республики Южная Осетия не может быть лишен гражданства или права на его изменение. Основания и порядок приобретения гражданства определяются конституционным законом.
3. В Республике Южная Осетия допускается двойное гражданство.Translation: 1. The Republic of South Ossetia has its own citizenship. 2. A citizen of the Republic of South Ossetia cannot be deprived of citizenship or of the right to change it. The grounds and procedure for acquiring citizenship are set by a constitutional law. 3. Dual citizenship is permitted in the Republic of South Ossetia.
Propose a change to this article →Georgia
Citizenship of Georgia shall be acquired by birth or naturalisation. The procedures for acquiring and losing the citizenship of Georgia, the conditions and procedures for granting citizenship of Georgia to a foreign citizen and the conditions for holding citizenship of another state by a citizen of Georgia shall be determined by the organic law.
The deprivation of citizenship shall be inadmissible.- Translated by Constitute Project (English translation; the authentic text is in Georgian)
- Constitute Project: Georgia's Constitution of 1995 with Amendments through 2018, English translation, as read · read 2026-11-10
Moving and leaving
May a person move freely, leave the country and come back?
South Ossetia
1. Каждому, кто законно находится на территории Республики Южная Осетия, принадлежит право свободного передвижения по ее территории и свободного выбора места жительства, кроме случаев, оговоренных законом.
2. Каждый имеет право выезжать за пределы Республики Южная Осетия.
3. Граждане Республики Южная Осетия имеют право беспрепятственного возвращения в Республику Южная Осетия.Translation: 1. Everyone lawfully on the territory of the Republic of South Ossetia has the right to move freely within it and to choose freely where to live, except in cases provided by law. 2. Everyone has the right to leave the Republic of South Ossetia. 3. Citizens of the Republic of South Ossetia have the right to return to the Republic of South Ossetia without hindrance.
Propose a change to this article →Georgia
Everyone lawfully staying in Georgia shall have the right to move freely within the territory of the country, to choose a place of residence freely and to leave Georgia freely.
These rights may only be restricted in accordance with law, for ensuring national security or public safety, protecting health or administering justice, insofar as is necessary in a democratic society.
A citizen of Georgia shall be able to enter Georgia freely.- Translated by Constitute Project (English translation; the authentic text is in Georgian)
- Constitute Project: Georgia's Constitution of 1995 with Amendments through 2018, English translation, as read · read 2026-11-10
Defence and service
Does the text make defence a duty, and who decides how service is done?
South Ossetia
1. Защита Отечества - священный долг каждого гражданина Республики Южная Осетия. […]
2. Гражданин Республики Южная Осетия обязан защищать интересы государства, способствовать укреплению его обороноспособности.Translation: 1. Defending the Fatherland is the sacred duty of every citizen of the Republic of South Ossetia. […] 2. A citizen of the Republic of South Ossetia is obliged to defend the interests of the state and to help strengthen its defence capability.
Propose a change to this article →Georgia
The defence of Georgia shall be every citizen's duty. The procedure for performing military service shall be determined by law.- Translated by Constitute Project (English translation; the authentic text is in Georgian)
- Constitute Project: Georgia's Constitution of 1995 with Amendments through 2018, English translation, as read · read 2026-11-10
What the public budget rests on
Who pays for it
How much did the government raise itself, how much did it receive and from whom, and what did it spend?
| Row | Share |
|---|---|
| Russian Federation | 81% |
| Raised itself | 19% |
| Non-state organisations | <1% |
- Spending covered by its own revenue
- 18.5%
- Revenue received from others
- 81.2%
Spending the same without what was received
For South Ossetia to spend the same from its own revenue alone, that revenue would have to be 5.4 times what it was; or spending would have to fall by 81.5%; or some mix of the two.
Arithmetic on the budget's own figures, not a forecast: it says nothing of what the economy could raise under other rules, or what would be spent instead.
No budget has been read for Georgia yet.
Propose a change
Think one side's rule is better, or want a law changed? Open the law in Solon, pick the article and write the words you want: it is shown as a redline against the published text, others can support it, and the page says how that law is officially changed. Support here is evidence, never law.
How this comparison is made
South Ossetia is quoted from its constitution, its Tax Code (Part Two) and its law on the 2023 budget, all as its Parliament publishes them. Georgia is quoted from the Constitute Project's English translation of its constitution, and its tax rates from PwC's summary, which is not the law: the authentic Georgian texts are on matsne.gov.ge, which refused Solon's reader on the day this was read. Not read yet: the statutes each constitution leaves the detail to (citizenship, military service), each side's budget in later years, Georgia's state budget, and what each side's law says about documents and property made under the other's. Solon's own copy of the South Ossetian Tax Code holds only the page that links the code's Word file; reading that file into the register is work in progress.
Every line is a quotation from a page someone opened, with the day it was read; the original is shown beside any translation, and a program re-reads each page every week and flags words that are gone. The questions are the same for every place. The side that governs is shown first, then the claimant, always. Where nothing has been read, the page says so.
Every contested place →