ABSTRACT
The Constitution itself is not terribly clear as regards the allocation of rights and duties between the centre and the regions. According to its paragraph 72, there is to be shared jurisdiction between the centre and the regions in a number of vital issues. These areas are certainly not marginal ones. They concern, for instance, the use of land and water resources, the disposal of subterranean riches, environmental protection, basic principles of the collection of tax revenue, as well as the establishment of common principles regarding local self-government. Hence, there are substantial grey zones as regards the delimitation of rights and duties, and this lessthan-clear legal foundation paves the way for a tug-of-war between the centre and the regions. The situation is further compounded by the fact that, in addition to what is said in the Constitution, there is an unwieldy array of bilateral treaties that, from 1994, were concluded between the centre and individual regions. These were certainly called for, since there was a need for reaching more precise agreements on the division of labour within the areas of shared jurisdiction. However, they were often not made public, which further added to the opacity of the division of labour. Even though the national republics were first to sign such agreements, most territorially defined units had, towards the late 1990s, reached similar understandings with the Centre.
