(Reason) Vladimir Putin officially solidified his grasp on power last week when the State Duma, Russia’s lower legislative chamber, voted unanimously to pass a constitutional amendment modifying the structure of presidential term limits. Putin will be allowed to once again run for office in 2024, when his current term is set to expire, and stay in power for two consecutive six-year terms.
The amendment was introduced by Valentina Tereshkova, former astronaut and current Duma member of the United Russia Party. She implored the Duma to reset Putin’s previous presidential terms, allowing him to seek re-election without the restrictions of constitutional law. […]
The proposed amendment contradicts the basic tenets of the Russian constitution, said Kirill Rogov, a senior research fellow at the Gaidar Institute for Economic Policy, in an interview with Echo of Moscow Radio. The Duma is illegally trying to implement it, he said, making Putin’s move an effective coup d’etat. […]
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