THE CONGRESSES OF THE SOVIETS
53. Congresses of Soviets are composed as follows:
(_a_) Regional: of representatives of the urban and county
Soviets, one representative for 25,000 inhabitants of the
county, and one representative for 5,000 voters of the
cities--but not more than 500 representatives for the entire
region--or of representatives of the provincial Congresses,
chosen on the same basis, if such a Congress meets before the
regional Congress.
(_b_) Provincial (_Gubernia_): of representatives of urban
and rural (_Volost_) Soviets, one representative for 10,000
inhabitants from the rural districts, and one representative
for 2,000 voters in the city; altogether not more than 300
representatives for the entire province. In case the county
Congress meets before the provincial, election takes place on
the same basis, but by the county Congress instead of the rural.
(_c_) County: of representatives of rural Soviets, one
delegate for each 1,000 inhabitants, but not more than 300
delegates for the entire county.
(_d_) Rural (_Volost_): of representatives of all village
Soviets in the _Volost_, one delegate for ten members of the
Soviet.
_Note 1_: Representatives of urban Soviets which have a
population of not more than 10,000 persons participate in the
county Congress; village Soviets of districts less than 1,000
inhabitants unite for the purpose of electing delegates to the
county Congress.
_Note 2_: Rural Soviets of less than ten members send one
delegate to the rural (_Volost_) Congress.
54. Congresses of the Soviets are convoked by the respective
Executive Committees upon their own initiative, or upon request
of local Soviets comprising not less than one-third of the
entire population of the given district. In any case they
are convoked at least twice a year for regions, every three
months for provinces and counties, and once a month for rural
districts.
55. Every Congress of Soviets (regional, provincial, county,
or rural) elects its Executive organ--an Executive Committee
the membership of which shall not exceed: (_a_) for regions and
provinces, twenty-five; (_b_) for a county, twenty; (_c_) for a
rural district, ten. The Executive Committee is responsible to
the Congress which elected it.
56. In the boundaries of the respective territories the
Congress is the supreme power; during intervals between the
convocations of the Congress, the Executive Committee is the
supreme power.