President Vladimir Putin may be allowed to run for two more terms in the Kremlin after Russian senators overwhelmingly backed amendments to the constitution.
The constitutional reforms, submitted by the Russian leader himself, were backed by 160 senators in the upper house Federation Council, with one voting against and three abstaining.
The terms, which could see Putin run for president again and stay in power until 2036, must now be approved by two-thirds of Russian regional parliaments before being put to a public vote on April 22.
In a speech ahead of the Federation Council’s vote, speaker Valentina Matviyenko, an MP and Soviet-era cosmonaut who was the first woman in space, called the passing of the amendments ‘one of the most important issues in (Russia’s) modern history’.
Vladimir Putin (pictured before voting for constitutional amendments at the State Duma began) may be able to run for two more terms in the Kremlin after Russian senators overwhelmingly backed amendments to the constitution
The reforms, which could see Putin run for president again and stay in power until 2036, were backed by 160 senators in the upper house Federation Council
The terms will now need to be approved by two-thirds of Russian regional parliaments before going to a public vote. Pictured: A screen displays the voting results for the amendments to Russia’s Constitution
She hailed the amendment introduced on Tuesday that would give Putin the chance to run again when his current term ends in 2024, by effectively resetting the clock on previous presidential terms.
She said: ‘Putin must have the right to participate in new competitive elections.
‘He raised Russia from its knees’ and ‘is considered one of the world’s great leaders.
Yesterday, the Russian president laid out a path to run for president again and stay in power until 2036.
In a surprise address to the lower house State Duma, Putin said there could be a presidential ‘reset’ allowing him to run after his current term expires.
‘This would be possible… if the constitutional court rules such an amendment would not go against (the constitution),’ he said.
Putin appeared before the Duma after lawmakers proposed a series of amendments to a package of constitutional reforms he announced in January.
Among them was an amendment put forward by Ms Tereshkova that would annul previous presidential terms.
This would allow 67-year-old Putin, who was first elected in 2000, to run again after his current six-year term expires, and potentially stay in power until 2036.
Putin (pictured visiting the stock company ‘Polyot’, manufacturing parachute systems, in Ivanovo, Russia last week) is required by the constitution to step down in 2024
The Russian President (addressing a meeting of the Russian State Duma) in January unveiled a major shake-up of Russian politics
‘These amendments are long overdue, they are needed, and I am sure they will be useful for society, for our citizens,’ he told lawmakers.
He said Russia needed evolutionary change, ‘because we have had enough of revolutions’ while suggesting that the country may not yet be ready for a new leader.
‘There will be a time when the highest power… will not be tied to one specific person. But all of our previous history happened in this way, and of course we cannot ignore this,’ Putin said.
Lawmakers also proposed holding early parliamentary elections but Putin said that was not necessary and the amendment was withdrawn. He also rejected a call for a lifting of the overall two-term presidential limit.
Deputies then voted to approve the reforms in the key second reading, with 382 in favour, 44 abstentions and none against.
Valentina Matviyenko (pictured), a former Soviet cosmonaut and the first woman to fly into space, said this was one of the ‘most important issues’ in Russian history
Russia’s President Vladimir Putin delivers a speech during a session of the lower house of parliament to consider constitutional changes in Moscow, Russia
Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks during a plenary session of the Russian State Duma in Moscow, Russia
A third and final reading is due in the Duma on Wednesday, followed by approval in the upper house Federation Council and a public vote on the reforms planned for April 22.
Putin shocked Russia’s political establishment by announcing the package of reforms in January, the first major changes to the country’s basic law since 1993.
The political changes will also give parliament the power to choose the government and increase the role of the State Council, an advisory body.
Other proposals aim at boosting living standards, including a guaranteed minimum wage and state pensions adjusted to inflation.
And – in line with Putin’s strongly conservative views – the reforms would enshrine a mention of Russians’ ‘faith in God’ and spell out that marriage is a heterosexual union.
Russia’s opposition, including Putin’s most prominent critic Alexei Navalny, has denounced the proposals as an effort to make him ‘president for life’.
‘Interesting how things turn out,’ Navalny said in a tweet after Putin’s speech.
‘Putin has been in power for 20 years but he’s going to run for the first time.’
More than 20,000 protesters took part in a rally on February 29 calling on Putin not to hold on to power and opposition groups on Tuesday quickly put in requests for permission for more demonstrations.
Sergei Neverov (pictured at the Dumas in Moscow), a senior United Russia official, said the party would ‘no doubt support’ such an idea
But so far there has not been an upswell of opposition to the reforms, with polls showing many Russian are confused about what the constitutional proposals entail.
Observers had previously suggested that Putin could be looking to stay on in a behind-the-scenes role after 2024 as head of another state body.
But Dmitry Trenin, director of the Carnegie Moscow Center, said Tuesday’s events made it clear Putin wanted to remain in charge.
‘It looks that after playing with ideas of State Council and Security Council Putin has finally decided in favour of running again in 2024,’ Trenin said on Twitter.
Putin was re-elected to a fifth term in 2018 but his approval ratings have been falling as Russia’s economy struggles under the weight of Western sanctions and living standards fall.
Pictured: An activist of Russian Democratic party Yabloko stands outside the State Duma with a placard reading ‘Zeroing presidential terms is usurpation of power’
The economy is set for more turbulence in the coming weeks and potentially months after oil prices crashed following the collapse of the production limits deal between Russia and Saudi Arabia.
The value of the ruble and Russian stock exchanges have since tumbled.
But in presenting the amendment that would annul previous presidential terms, cosmonaut-turned-politician Tereshkova said the possibility of Putin staying on would be reassuring.
‘The very existence of such an opportunity for the incumbent president – given his great authority – is a stabilising factor for our society,’ she said.