Putin looks to hold power after 2024
Russia was braced for sweeping change yesterday as its government abruptly resigned after Vladimir Putin proposed constitutional changes, prompting speculation not about whether the president was planning to hold on to power beyond his current term, but how.
The abrupt departure of the cabinet shocked observers who were gearing up for a slow public campaign to implement the sweeping amendments.
In a surprise development, Mr Putin said he wanted Mikhail Mishustin, the head of the tax service, to take over from Dmitry Medvedev, the unpopular prime minister. Mishustin, whose candidacy will be examined by parliament today, has a relatively low profile.
The 53-year-old has played ice hockey with Putin and will inevitably be viewed as a possible presidential successor, as will members of the new government, many of whom are expected to be new appointments.
Putin has been at the helm since 2000 and is constitutionally barred from seeking re-election in 2024. The Russian leader is widely believed to be planning to hold on to power in another capacity, possibly as the prime minister or as chairman of parliament
Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, listens to Tax Service chief Mikhail Mishustin during a meeting in the Kremlin in Moscow. Putin has named Mishustin as Russia’s new prime minister.
or the state advisory body.
Capping his annual state of the nation address, Putin yesterday voiced proposals to amend the constitution to cut the president’s power in favour of parliament. He did not say if the changes would affect his plans, but insisted they
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would serve all Russians.
Several hours later, Russian state television broadcast a meeting of the government, attended by Putin, when Medvedev said the entire cabinet was stepping down. ‘‘The resignation of the government is necessary to let the president of our country’’ see
through the amendments, the prime minister of eight years said.
The decision apparently came as a surprise even to some ministers. The Bell, a respected website, quoted two unnamed ministers as saying no one in the cabinet knew about the move.
‘‘It’s all very unclear and unexpected,’’ Masha Lipman, a Moscow-based political analyst, told The Daily Telegraph. ‘‘It’s definitely part of the [succession] plan but we don’t know right now what this plan is.’’
Tatyana Stanovaya, a nonresident scholar at the Moscow Carnegie Centre and head of the R. Politik political analysis firm, wrote yesterday the resignation was likely to mean Putin was grooming a new successor.
‘‘It looks very much like Putin is preparing to leave the presidency ... and is currently trying to create a safety mechanism for his successor in case of conflict,’’ she said.
Medvedev and his government have been tainted by allegations of large-scale corruption. He has been Putin’s loyal ally since he willingly assumed the presidency in 2008 and stepped aside for Putin in 2012.
Putin has offered Medvedev a role as his deputy on the security council.
Putin also suggested giving the state duma, the lower chamber of parliament, powers to nominate and endorse the country’s prime minister.
Alexei Kudrin, an ally of Putin, told Russian state television that it was ‘‘too early to say’’ if the president would move to another senior post after 2024.
– Telegraph Group