Referendum consolidates Putin’s power

Russian voters approved changes to the constitution that will allow President Vladimir Putin to potentially hold power until 2036, but the weeklong plebiscite that concluded yesterday was tarnished by widespread reports of pressure on voters and other irregularities.

With 55 per cent of all precincts counted, nearly 77 per cent voted for the constitutional amendments, according to election officials.

For the first time in Russia, polls were kept open for a week to bolster turnout without increasing crowds casting ballots amid the coronavirus pandemic — a provision that Kremlin critics denounced as an extra tool to manipulate the outcome.

A massive propaganda campaign and the opposition’s failure to mount a co-ordinated challenge helped Putin get the result he wanted, but the plebiscite could end up eroding his position because of the unconventional methods used to boost participation and the dubious legal basis for the balloting.

The amendments that would allow Putin to run for two more six-year terms, in 2024 and 2030, are part of a package of constitutional changes that also outlaw same-sex marriage, mention “a belief in God as a core value” and emphasise the primacy of Russian law over international norms. Voters could only cast ballots on the entire group of amendments. Nationwide turnout was reported at 65 per cent of the electorate.

The vote completes a saga that began in January, when Putin first proposed changes including broadening the powers of parliament and redistributing authority among the branches of government.