Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a law on constitutional changes that could keep him in power for another 16 years.
The Kremlin confirmed he signed the measure on Saturday, three days after it sailed through the Russian parliament with only one vote against.
It must still be approved by the country’s Constitutional Court and in a referendum set for April 22.
Russian President Vladimir Putin (pictured yesterday) has signed a law on constitutional changes that could keep him in power for another 16 years
Under current law, Mr Putin would not be able to run for president again in 2024 because of term limits, but the new measure would reset his term count, allowing him to run for two more six-year terms.
He has been in power since 2000.
Other constitutional changes further strengthen the presidency and emphasise the priority of Russian law over international norms – reflecting the Kremlin’s irritation with the European Court of Human Rights and other international bodies that have often issued verdicts against Russia.
The changes also outlaw same-sex marriage and mention ‘a belief in God’ as one of Russia’s traditional values.
The Kremlin confirmed he signed the measure on Saturday, three days after it sailed through the Russian parliament with only one vote against. The President is pictured with Minister of Education Sergei Kravtsov on Thursday
Putin appeared before the Duma on Tuesday after lawmakers proposed a series of amendments to a package of constitutional reforms he announced in January.
Among them was the amendment put forward by Valentina Tereshkova, an MP and Soviet-era cosmonaut who was the first woman in space, that would annul previous presidential terms.
Putin said: ‘These amendments are long overdue, they are needed, and I am sure they will be useful for society, for our citizens.’
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.
A woman holds a poster in Moscow as she attends a single-person protest against Russia’s parliament approved amendments to the constitution
‘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.’
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also proposed holding early parliamentary elections but Putin said that was not necessary and the amendment was withdrawn.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.
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.
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. Pictured: A protester in Moscow last night
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.
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.
The changes also outlaw same-sex marriage and mention ‘a belief in God’ as one of Russia’s traditional values. Pictured: A protester in Moscow on Friday
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.
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.