Putin may extend his time in power under new law
MOSCOW — Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a law on constitutional changes that could keep him in power for another 16 years, a step that must still be approved in a nationwide vote.
Putin signed the measure Saturday, the Kremlin said, three days after it sailed through the Russian parliament with only one vote against. It must be approved by the country’s Constitutional Court in the next seven days and in a referendum set for April 22.
The constitutional court, which has never defied the Kremlin under Putin, is expected to approve the changes.
The referendum will take place despite the coronavirus crisis, said Valentina Ivanovna Matviyenko, chairwoman of the Federation Council.
Earlier in the week, the bill detailing nearly 400 changes to the constitution was rushed through the lower and upper houses of parliament on the same day.
In its current form, the constitution allows a president to serve for two consecutive terms, obliging Putin to leave office in 2024.
Putin served two fouryear terms as president from 2000 to 2008. After that, the constitution was amended to provide sixyear terms, and Putin returned to the presidency in 2012 and was re-elected in 2018.
Other constitutional changes further strengthen the presidency and emphasize the priority of Russian law over international norms, a provision 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.
Critics and opposition figures have compared the move to a coup at a time when mass gatherings and demonstrations are forbidden because of the coronavirus.
Police on Saturday arrested 49 people at a protest against political repression outside the headquarters of the Federal Security Service in Moscow.
The detentions came as people stood in line to take part in a single picket protest. Russian law allows lone picketers without prior permission.
Rotating single pickets, in which each person stands for a short period before giving way to the next, is a frequent strategy.