Russia’s President Vladimir Putin announced his approval of a planned change to his country’s constitution. It clears the way for him to practically stay in office like a king, ruling forever. Putin admits holding the throne until you die is sort of tacky. So, when he’s done playing president, he promises to give the office back. That’s when they can return to term limits.
Putin approves plan to keep him in office
There was never any doubt that the former KGB chief would approve the idea of being president for life, after all, it was his suggestion. The thing that needed his blessing was the method of achieving that goal. The simplest solution is to erase his term count back to zero. That means he’s good to go until 2036. By then he’ll be 83. Putin thinks that would be a good time to think about retiring. Maybe.
What President Putin signaled his approval of, is the method chosen to keep him in power until the country becomes more “mature” politically. In January, he shocked the entire planet by casually restructuring the Russian government with a wave of his hand. He made it clear, there’s no way he’s about to walk away in 2024 just because he’s already served four terms.
On Tuesday, he went to the Russian version of our congressional House of Representatives. They call their lower house of parliament the “Duma.” If it’s okay with their watchdogs, then the plan is okay with him, he assured.
The proposal aims “to remove restrictions for any person, including the incumbent president.” In theory it should work, he agrees. “This option would be possible,” as long as it’s legal, he notes. “If the constitutional court gives an official ruling that such an amendment would not contradict the principles and main provisions of the constitution.”
It’s not as bad as it seems
Vladimir Putin actually looked to American history for justification of his elevation to king, channeling the ghost of Franklin D. Roosevelt. The Rough-Rider was called by duty to serve four terms “because of the upheaval his country was going through at the time.” Sometimes, he noted, term limits are “superfluous.”
“In conditions when a country is experiencing such shocks and difficulties,” he argues, “stability is perhaps more important and must be a priority.” After all their country still hasn’t fully recovered from the Soviet Union collapse 30 years ago. Now they have coronavirus to worry about.
The “constitutional court” is expected to rubber stamp the amendment. Putin still needs a vote of confidence from the Russian people, which will happen in April. If they approve the deal, “Putin could serve another two back-to-back six year terms.” Putin has gone on record in the past criticizing the “Soviet-era practice of having leaders for life who die in office.”
Kremlin critics push back
When Alexei Navalny got the news, he was convinced the 12 year extension is only a set up and Putin is really “set to become president for life.” His associate Ivan Zhdanov was livid, calling the ruse a “constitutional coup.”
Opposition leaders plan to protest the “rewriting of the constitution in the interests of the ruling elite.”
The woman who introduced the bill in the Duma, Valentina Tereshkova, is also the first woman in space. According to her, voters told the lawmakers in discussion meetings that they overwhelmingly wanted Vlad to “stay nearby,” just in case. “What if suddenly something goes wrong? He (Putin) will be able to support, help and have our backs.”
FDR was not the Rough Rider. That was Theodore Roosevelt.
I knew I should have looked that up! Good catch! Thank you for reading and your comment.