The entire Russian government resigned on Wednesday, following President Vladimir Putin’s plan for constitutional changes.
Russian state is set for massive overhaul as Putin plans rearrangement of nation’s governing structures.
Putin, in his annual address to Parliament, proposed a referendum on amending Russia’s constitution to increase the powers of parliament as he holds on to a strong presidential system.
“I consider it necessary to conduct a vote by the country’s citizens on an entire package of proposed amendments to the country’s constitution,” Putin said.
Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, who tendered his resignation to Putin, will be appointed the new deputy head of Russia’s influential Security Council.
“This is to show that Putin trusts Medvedev, who has been at his side for many years now,” said Aleksandra Godfroid, a journalist in Moscow.
He called for a boost to the powers of parliament, making legislators responsible for choosing the prime minister and senior cabinet members.
In resigning, “Medvedev said that, in view of the significant changes that will take place, he feels the president should be given the opportunity to go through with these changes through with the type of government that he chooses,” Godfroid told Al Jazeera.
The current government will have to continue its work until Putin hand-picks a new one to oversee the constitutional changes to Russia’s systems and structures of power.
“The proposed changes to the constitution imply the government will actually be appointed by the Russian parliament, which is not how it is now, but at the same time, the president will retain the power to fire the government if he is not satisfied with their performance. The president will also keep control of the army, police and security, and will be appointing the heads of those services,” said Godfroid.
“We will be able to build a strong prosperous Russia only on the basis of respect for public opinion,” Putin told members of parliament on Wednesday.
