President Mikhail S. Gorbachev bowed to criticism of his constitutional reforms Tuesday, saying he will accept tighter limits on presidential power and try to accommodate republics clamoring for more autonomy. Gorbachev, acknowledging the political give-and-take forming in the freer atmosphere he has fostered, told the Supreme Soviet, or parliament: ``Our own socialist system of `checks and balances' is taking shape in this country, designed to protect society from any violations of socialist legality at the highest state level.'' The Supreme Soviet is considering during its three-day session a package of almost 120 articles of legislation first published five weeks ago that Gorbachev says are the first major step toward a political system based on law, not central dictate. But the draft laws faced stiff criticism that they actually stengthen the presidency, which Gorbachev assumed on Oct. 1, against the legislature, and strengthen Moscow's power against that of the 15 Soviet republics. The unprecedented criticism of the proposed legislation was highlighted by the Estonian republic's Nov. 16 ``declaration of sovereignty'' over all internal affairs and demand to review all new Soviet legislation. Several Supreme Soviet deputies, including two top officials from the Baltic republics, registered dissatisfaction Tuesday with elements of the reform. Arnold Ruutel, the Estonian president, told reporters that Surpreme Soviet deputies only received copies of the amended proposals on Tuesday. They have not been published. But Gorbachev, detailing some of the changes to the 1,500 Supreme Soviet members, said, ``It is obvious that some of the provisions of the bills were not formulated precisely enough and cuased quite a few critical remarks in the course of discussions.'' ``The draft now gives the U.S.S.R. Supreme Soviet the right to repeal decrees and decisions by its Presidium, and orders by the Supreme Soviet president,'' Gorbachev said. That was implied in the Soviet Constitution, which requires Supreme Soviet confirmation of directives of the Presidium, the highest executive body on which Gorbachev serves as chairman. But the Supreme Soviet almost never has challenged any such directive, and the proposed constitutional amendments said nothing about Supreme Soviet review. Gorbachev's reforms call for the formation next year of a Congress of People's Deputies, a 2,250-member legislative body that will include representation from the Communist Party, trade and creative unions, and social organizations as well as geographical legislative districts. The Congress will choose a smaller Supreme Soviet, which is to become more active. He said the Congress would have power to recall any official it appoints, including the president. The Supreme Soviet would have the powers of budget oversight and review of the actions of government ministries. ``This right will definitely be used regularly in the new conditions,'' he said. It was not immediately clear whether Gorbachev was giving up his proposal to strengthen the president by giving his the chairmanship of the Defense Council and responsibility for foreign policy. In order to further strengthen the system of checks and balances, Gorbachev said a constitutional review commission would be formed, and that judges would be given considerably more independence. To meet complaints from small republics the amendments now give all 15 republics stronger representation in one house of the Supreme Soviet, the Soviet of Nationalities. Gorbachev, who led the Presidium on Saturday in rejecting Estonia's challenge, stressed the economic unity of the Soviet Union. But a specific criticism of Estonia originally included in a summary of Gorbachev's remarks distributed by the Tass news agency did not appear in the final version, and he struck a conciliatory note. Gorbachev proposed creating a special commission to settle the question of division of powers between the central government and the republics. Soviet Vice President Anatoly Lukyanov, in a news conference, told reporters that a section allowing central authorities to declare a state of emergency and call in soldiers to keep order had been amended to assure the republics any such operation would be temporary, and that they would be consulted. ``We are not approaching the constitution and the republics as something that has been set once and forever. There will be changes and amendments,'' he said. But leaders of two Baltic republics still objected. Latvian President Anatoly Gorbunov said direct representation of social and political organizations in the Congress of People's Deputies could result in one person holding several seats in the the congress. Another Baltic republic president, Vitautas Astrauskas of Lithuania, called for a new constitution limiting the central government to national issues. Gorbachev's ideology chief, Vadim A. Medvedev told a news conference that he believed the Estonian measures were ``adopted spontaneously under public sentiment and emotion that for a certain time got the upper hand in the republic.'' ``I'm not inclined to agree they are an adequate reflection of public opinion in that republic,'' he said.
