Putin proposes constitutional ban on gay marriage

MOSCOW >> President Vladimir Putin has proposed a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage in what political analysts suggest is an effort to raise turnout for a constitutional referendum that could keep him in power but has so far stirred little enthusiasm among Russians.

Putin suggested in January a raft of changes to the country’s 1993 post-Soviet constitution that seemed to keep the door open for him to remain in power beyond 2024, when he is required to step down after his second consecutive term.

But most of the proposed changes were so deep in the legal weeds that even experts were left guessing how they would work, or why they were needed. Polls have suggested low turnout and little enthusiasm among Russians for the referendum planned.

Putin suggested shifting some powers from the president to the prime minister and parliament, while creating a new deliberative chamber called the State Council, with still unclear duties, among other changes.

After the overhaul, analysts say, Putin might move to one or another of the newly empowered positions as a new perch to rule Russia, though he has not disclosed his plans.

By including an amendment defining marriage as between a man and a woman, “they are reinventing the vote as a referendum for traditional values,” said Ekaterina Schulmann, a Moscowbased political scientist.

“They gave it a label to attract both those in favor, and those opposed,” she said. “If turnout is properly high, then this new amended constitution will be legitimized both in the eyes of the internal audience and international community.”

The same-sex marriage ban is one of a package of new amendments to the constitutional review process proposed on Monday, and on Tuesday a committee in parliament approved them. They are expected to clear a vote in the full parliament before the referendum, planned for April 22.