Putin approves changes allowing him to stay in power until 2036

[webfact]

Putin approves changes allowing him to stay in power until 2036

By Andrew Osborn and Tom Balmforth

 

Russia's President Vladimir Putin attends a session of the lower house of parliament to consider constitutional changes in Moscow, Russia March 10, 2020. Sputnik/Alexei Nikolsky/Kremlin via REUTERS

 

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday opened the door to constitutional changes that would allow him to remain in power until 2036, but said he favoured term limits once the country became politically "mature".

 

Putin, who in January unveiled a major shake-up of Russian politics and a constitutional overhaul, is required by the constitution to step down in 2024 when his second sequential and fourth presidential term ends.

 

But addressing the State Duma, the lower house of parliament, he gave his qualified blessing to a proposed change to the constitution that would formally reset his presidential term tally to zero.

 

"The proposal to remove restrictions for any person, including the incumbent president ... In principle, this option would be possible, but on one condition - if the constitutional court gives an official ruling that such an amendment would not contradict the principles and main provisions of the constitution," Putin said.

 

He said U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt serving four terms because of the upheaval his country was going through at the time was an example of why presidential term limits were sometimes superfluous.

 

Russia's ruling party says it would back an amendment to the constitution that would allow Vladimir Putin to stay on as president until at least 2036, if he decided to pursue such a motion. Adam Reed reports.

 

"In conditions when a country is experiencing such shocks and difficulties, of course ... stability is perhaps more important and must be a priority," he said, adding that Russia was still recovering from the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union.

 

If, as Putin's critics suspect, the constitutional court gives its blessing to the amendment and it is backed in a nationwide vote in April, Putin could serve another two back-to-back six year terms.

 

Were he to do that, and his health and electoral fortunes allowed, he could stay in office until 2036 at which point he would be 83.

 

Kremlin critic and opposition politician Alexei Navalny said he believed Putin was now set to become president for life, while Navalny's ally, Ivan Zhdanov, decried the move as tantamount to a constitutional coup.

 

'ROOM TO MANOEUVRE'

Putin, 67, now had more room to manoeuvre politically, said Tatiana Stanovaya, a non-resident scholar at the Carnegie Moscow Center.

 

His stance handed him the option to run again in 2024 should he choose to do so and removed political challenges raised by what had been seen as his last term in the Kremlin, she added.

 

"The successor issue disappears. The issue of Putin as a lame duck disappears," said Stanovaya.

 

Opposition activists said they planned to protest against what some called a rewriting of the constitution in the interests of the ruling elite. One group said it had applied for permission to stage a demonstration on March 21.

 

Moscow's government said in a statement late on Tuesday that it would stop all public gatherings in the city of more than 5,000 people until April 10 due to coronavirus-related risks.

 

A former KGB officer, Putin, who is serving his fourth presidential term and has also served as prime minister, has dominated the Russian political landscape for two decades.

 

Putin has not spelled out what his plans for the future are, but he has said he does not favour the Soviet-era practice of having leaders for life who die in office.

 

Putin appeared before parliament on Tuesday after Valentina Tereshkova, a lawmaker from the ruling United Russia party and the first woman in space, told parliament she was proposing to amend the constitution in a way that would reset his presidential term count to zero.

 

Explaining the surprise move, Tereshkova said voters had told lawmakers in recent meetings that they wanted Putin to "stay nearby", whatever constitutional changes occurred.

 

"What if suddenly something goes wrong?" asked Tereshkova. "He (Putin) will be able to support, help and have our backs."

 

Her proposal came as parliament was examining and preparing to vote on Putin's constitutional shake-up in the second of three readings, something it later did, approving it and Tereshkova's amendment.

 

(Additional reporting by Tom Balmforth, Maria Kiselyova, Polina Devitt, Darya Korsunskaya, Anton Zverev and Gabrielle Tetrault-Farber; Editing by Mike Collett-White)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2020-03-11

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[cornishcarlos]

Like a pale Mugabe !! 

[Puchaiyank]

No, no, no...please don't make me the top Russian thug until 2036...

[Pedrogaz]

Good move, god forbid we lose the only statesman the world has left. Xi is ok and has managed the coronavirus brilliantly, but he comes across as spineless and wishy washy. Putin by contrast is decisive, strategic, quick and has a brilliant partner in Lavrov. Compare Trump-Pompeo to Putin-Lavrov, Trump-Pompeo are lightweights in a heavyweight fight.

[Nyezhov]

11 minutes ago, Pedrogaz said:

Putin by contrast is decisive, strategic, quick and has a brilliant partner in Lavrov.

Putin runs a miserable third world country with nukes that produces nothing worth a <deleted> except for poetry and oil and gas.

 

Same same forever in the Land of the Tsars. The Knout rules.

[Jingthing]

15 minutes ago, Pedrogaz said:

Good move, god forbid we lose the only statesman the world has left. Xi is ok and has managed the coronavirus brilliantly, but he comes across as spineless and wishy washy. Putin by contrast is decisive, strategic, quick and has a brilliant partner in Lavrov. Compare Trump-Pompeo to Putin-Lavrov, Trump-Pompeo are lightweights in a heavyweight fight.

Good news to the dark forces in the world that oppose democracy and support total authoritarianism with strong man cult of personality leaders for life. 

 

Putin

Xi

Kim

Erdogan 

The current US president 

[Jingthing]

6 minutes ago, Tug said:

Donald will be so envious 

No doubt. 

[Brigand]

Putin is going to copy Mr. Burns from the Simpsons ....

 

 

[wwest5829]

Come on Trump. Step up to the place. The virus the economic downturn threat. Declare Emergency Powers ... it seems there is nothing to stop you!

[Caldera]

I don't think he will still be alive in 2036, but who knows!

 

[Bluespunk]

6 hours ago, webfact said:

Putin approves changes allowing him to stay in power until 2036

Quelle surprise 

[Rimmer]

Speculative troll post removed also a reply

[Baerboxer]

3 hours ago, Pedrogaz said:

Good move, god forbid we lose the only statesman the world has left. Xi is ok and has managed the coronavirus brilliantly, but he comes across as spineless and wishy washy. Putin by contrast is decisive, strategic, quick and has a brilliant partner in Lavrov. Compare Trump-Pompeo to Putin-Lavrov, Trump-Pompeo are lightweights in a heavyweight fight.

 

Not someone whose keen on democracy, rule of law, human rights then are you?

 

Just cementing his dictatorship for life - like Xi and Hun Sen have. Erdogan will be so envious.

[zydeco]

9 hours ago, webfact said:

He said U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt serving four terms because of the upheaval his country was going through at the time was an example of why presidential term limits were sometimes superfluous.

So, Putin is fighting World War III then.

[Thongkorn]

wow thats a shock comrade, 

[TheDark]

In reality where can you put ex-dictators of powerful countries? Can they just fade away, when their actions are being scrutinised by the following presidents, who are more open to criticism of the past? 

 

How and where could Putin retire from his long lasting presidency? What happens to him after he has retired?

 

[Ireland32]

6 hours ago, Nyezhov said:

Putin runs a miserable third world country with nukes that produces nothing worth a <deleted> except for poetry and oil and gas.

 

Same same forever in the Land of the Tsars. The Knout rules.

Putiny is a lil Punk ass Thug , Emperor Winnie and Putiny Will have it out one day

[JHolmesJr]

Great! Now Dems can blame every election loss till 2036 on him. ????

[Berkshire]

1 hour ago, TheDark said:

In reality where can you put ex-dictators of powerful countries? Can they just fade away, when their actions are being scrutinised by the following presidents, who are more open to criticism of the past? 

 

How and where could Putin retire from his long lasting presidency? What happens to him after he has retired?

 

Putin will never retire.  I can see him building a pyramid where he can be buried with all of his billions.  It will be called the Great Pyramid of Putin and will be in the center of Moscow, where he will be remembered for centuries....or at least until the next Dictator tears it down. 

[Sujo]

9 minutes ago, JHolmesJr said:

Great! Now Dems can blame every election loss till 2036 on him. ????

I think you will find everyone except trump knows they interfered.

 

Repubs are even saying the interference was to help hilary.

[Sujo]

Putin and Kim. Small man syndrome.

 

Xi Ping and trump, small @$"! Syndrome.

[DrTuner]

They'll probably clone him so he'll be able to go on for centuries. Russians love their strongmen.

[SCOTT FITZGERSLD]

ahhh...Putin...

when i saw the P i thougth it is Prayuth...

but Putin no, not interesting

[pennine]

Well, he would, wouldn't he?