"Presidential Term Limits Nullified After Constitutional Amendment"… Putin Opens Path to De Facto Lifetime Rule

[Asia Economy Reporter Naju-seok] Vladimir Putin, the President of Russia, has taken a step closer to effectively securing a lifetime presidency. President Putin expressed his support for a constitutional amendment that would allow him to remain in office until 2036 by circumventing the Russian constitution's ban on a third consecutive term.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

On the 10th (local time), President Putin attended a session at the State Duma, the lower house of the Russian parliament, where the constitutional amendment was being reviewed. He expressed support for the amendment, which would eliminate term limits for the sitting president, contingent upon the Constitutional Court's ruling and a national referendum passing.

President Putin said, "If the constitutional amendment proposed by State Duma Deputy Valentina Tereshkova passes the Constitutional Court's review and gains the people's consent, I will support it." Deputy Tereshkova, the first female cosmonaut of Russia and a member of the ruling party, proposed an amendment stating that the existing clause limiting a third term would not apply if the president's powers change.

Under the Russian constitution, a president who has served consecutive terms cannot run for a third term. This is why, after Putin's re-election, Dmitry Medvedev was put forward as president while Putin served as the powerful prime minister. According to the current constitution, Putin's term ends in 2024, making him ineligible to run again. Deputy Tereshkova's proposal suggests that if the president's powers change, the sitting president would not be restricted by term limits and could run for a new term. Essentially, this would reset the term limits for the incumbent president.

Earlier, President Putin announced the push for constitutional amendments in his New Year's address in January. Since then, significant political changes have occurred in Russia. For example, Prime Minister Medvedev and his cabinet resigned, among other developments. While many speculated that Putin was preparing for a lifetime presidency, various theories emerged, including that he might assume the chairmanship of the State Council or return as the powerful prime minister.

President Putin stated that if the amendments are enacted, presidential power would no longer be monopolized. He said, "An imperial president entrusts too much power to one individual," and added, "I believe the time has come for this to disappear in Russia." The proposed amendments include provisions to weaken presidential powers. However, Putin also emphasized the need for 'stability' by referring to the economy and security, indicating his intention to maintain strong presidential authority in practice.

Western media have evaluated Putin's constitutional amendment as part of a well-planned strategy. The Wall Street Journal described Putin's move as "the final stage of a plan initiated in January of this year."

The Russian Federation Council and State Duma plan to complete the vote on the amendment by the 12th and hold a national referendum on April 22.

Meanwhile, President Putin will be 83 years old in 2036.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.