Nationwide vote on the amendment is set to take place on April 22, 2020
On March 11, the Russian Parliament approved the amendment proposed by Vladimir Putin, allowing him to run for President in 2024 and potentially stay in power beyond 2036. If the result of the national vote favors the amendment, the Constitution of Russia would be altered, allowing President Putin to stay in power almost indefinitely.
Former KGB officer, Putin has dominated two decades worth of political landscape in Russia by holding office as both prime minister and president. According to the Constitution, Putin is supposed to step down in 2024, ending his fourth presidential term. With the amendment, his presidential term tally would be reset to zero and he would be able to officially run for the 2024 presidential term.
Duma, the lower house of the Parliament with 450 seats, 384 voted in favor of the change in the amendment. 43 parliamentarians abstained from voting and 24 were not present at the time of the vote. Nobody voted against the proposed amendment. Kremlin critics have slammed this proposal branding it as an abuse of power.
Mr. Putin served his four-year presidential term for two consecutive years as outlined by the current constitution. In 2008, Putin was replaced by his close ally Dmitry Medvedev as president while he took over as prime minister of Russia. Under Medvedev’s presidency, the four-year term was extended to six years. Mr. Putin returned to power as the president in 2012 and in 2018 he was re-elected for another six years.
