Russian President Vladimir Putin has set 1st July this year for a nationwide vote to extend his rule till 2036.
The proposed constitutional amendment, which is still awaiting approval, would allow Mr Putin to spend another 12 years in power after his term ends in 2024, despite the country’s current staggering number of coronavirus cases standing at almost 415,000.
During a live video call with top officials on Monday June 1, 2020, Russia’s incumbent President disclosed that July 1 date is set for a nationwide vote on constitutional amendments to enable him run for presidential elections in two consecutive terms till 2036.
Mr Putin said the rising numbers of new coronavirus cases were slowing down and therefore, the country plans to safely hold the vote.
He added that the scheduled date for the vote will allow the nation to adequately tackle the ravaging pandemic head on before the election day.
The vote was hitherto scheduled for 22 April, 2020. However, the coronavirus outbreak necessitated the vote postponement, which will now hold next month first day of July.
Russian officials briefed Putin that voters will be allowed to cast ballots in the six days before the election day, as a measure to decongest likely overcrowding and ensure the electorate are safe from coronavirus infection during the vote exercise.
Russia currently has the world’s third-largest caseload. But the country has been able to slow down the spread of the outbreak.
The current law limits the Russia’s incumbent President’s power to run for another presidential election after his current term expires in 2024. The new law, if approved, would allow Putin to choose to run for two more terms as the country’s president.
Six years each of two terms after 2024 would allow Mr Putin to be in power till 2036.
Mr Putin, who turned 67 years old last year, has been in power since 2000, longer than any other ruler in the history of the Federation country.
Other constitutional changes in the proposed new law include more power to the presidency and superiority of Russian law to other international norms.
