Putin signs reforms that allow him to rerun for the Russian presidency

Russian President Vladimir Putin delivers a speech during a session of the lower house of parliament to consider constitutional changes in Moscow, Russia, March 10, 2020. /Reuters

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday signed the package of constitutional reforms he had proposed, including a clause that allows him to run for two more terms beyond 2024.

The Kremlin has published the 68-page law spelling out the constitutional reforms on the official website.

Putin's signature triggers a special procedure for the package. The reforms will be sent to the Russian Constitutional Court, which now has a week to rule on whether to approve the law, which would reset Putin's constitutional limit on terms in power. The law will then be voted on by the Russian public. The Kremlin has named April 22 as the day of the vote.

Russia's Senate Speaker Valentina Matvienko on Saturday told journalists that the voting "must take place despite various worries about coronavirus."

Some speculated in recent weeks that the Kremlin will initiate voting over the internet.

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Putin 2024: From retirement to re-election?

Members of Russia's lower house of parliament are seen shortly after a vote that approved constitutional reforms in a final reading, in Moscow, Russia, March 11, 2020. /Reuters

Putin on Tuesday backed a last-minute proposal to add a condition to the reform package for his possible return to the Kremlin after 2024, when he is constitutionally required to step down. The measure, added on the day when the State Duma lower house was voting for the reforms, was swiftly passed and the bill subsequently sailed through the upper house and regional parliaments.

"The president is the guarantor of the constitution or, simply put, the guarantor of the country's security, domestic stability and, as I said before, evolutionary development," Putin said in a speech at a State Duma plenary session.

"I have no doubt that the day will come when the supreme, presidential power in Russia will not be so personified, if I may say so, that it will not be connected to a certain individual," he added.

Putin stressed that a "strong presidential vertical" is "absolutely necessary" for Russia, where a "parliamentary government" is not suitable at the current stage.

The Russian leader had proposed to change the constitution in January, but until this week denied that he is seeking to extend his rule. His spokesman said Putin changed his mind due to global instability.

The amendments also change the balance of power, increasing the role of the State Council advisory body, and giving both parliament and the president additional instruments of authority.

(With input from AFP)

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