During the Russian constitutional crisis of 1993,[5] the activities of the regional council of people's deputies were terminated.

Power was decentralized to the individual federal subjects in accordance with the presidential decree of October 9, 1993 (No.

1617) "On the Reform of Representative Authorities and Local Self-Government in the Russian Federation" and the decision of the Sakhalin Oblast Governor of October 16, 1993 (No.

The regulation establishes that the oblast Duma will consist of 16 deputies elected by the population of the region and would have a term of two years.

[4] The Oblast Duma, as with all regional legislatures in Russia, elects the Oblast's representation in the Federation Council, the upper house of the bicameral Federal Assembly, the national parliament A two-thirds majority vote is needed for a charter or its amendments to be adopted by the Duma.