MOSCOW, March 10, 2020 (BSS/AFP) – Russia’s parliament is on Tuesday
expected to back President Vladimir Putin’s controversial constitutional
amendments that the Kremlin leader hopes will secure the country’s political
future for decades to come.
In a key second reading parliament’s lower house, the State Duma, is set
to vote on a broad overhaul of the constitution. These would be the first
major changes to Russia’s basic law since 1993.
Putin has been in power for two decades and is due to step down in 2024
after his fourth Kremlin term ends.
He unleashed a political storm in January when he suddenly proposed
changes to the constitution and dismissed his loyal ally Dmitry Medvedev as
prime minister.
Soon after, the State Duma unanimously approved the constitutional reform
bill in a first reading, after less than two hours of debate. A third and
final reading may also take place as early as this week.
Analysts have compared the constitutional changes to a sort of smorgasbord
package of proposals.
They include stipulations to strengthen the already strong role of the
president, enshrine the mention of Russians’ “faith in God” and to spell out
that marriage is a heterosexual union.
Russians will vote on the constitutional reforms once the legislation has
been approved by both houses of parliament. The plebiscite has been set for
April 22.
But the opposition, including Putin’s most prominent critic Alexei
Navalny, have criticised the proposals. They are warning that the Kremlin
strongman wants to remain leader for life.
– ‘Not about me’ –
Putin, 67, however has said he would not bend the law to stay in power by
any means, suggesting instead he wanted to cement his political legacy.
“This isn’t about me,” Putin said at a meeting with members of the public
in the central city of Ivanovo on Friday.
“We are proposing amendments not for 5 or 10 years but at least for 30 to
50 years. This is not about now.” The constitutional proposals seek to limit
the president’s time in office to a total of two terms and strengthen the
role of the State Council, currently an advisory body.
Some Kremlin critics have suggested Putin may head the State Council after
2024, but the Russian president ruled out that scenario.
“I don’t want to and I will not create a system of state power in Russia
which will be unacceptable or destructive for it, in order to extend my
term,” Putin said in comments broadcast on national television at the
weekend.
In January, Putin said he wanted to have a succession plan in place. He
did not want Russia to return to the Soviet-era practice of rulers dying in
office without a transition plan, he said.
He did not explain, however, why he began working on a succession plan two
years into his fourth Kremlin term — or why he was rushing the changes
through parliament.
The new amendments also ban giving away Russian territory and seek to
protect historic truth about the country’s role in World War II.
Many ordinary Russians have been flummoxed by the draft legislation.
According to a study by Levada Centre, an independent pollster, 64 percent
of Russians did not have a clear idea of what the proposals mean.
A quarter of Russians said they would back the amendments, while 23
percent said they would not vote.
– ‘Conservative manifesto’ –
An editorial in Vedomosti business daily called the proposed amendments a
“conservative manifesto” — the political legacy that Putin wanted to leave
to future generations.
Political commentator Maxim Trudolyubov said the overhaul of the
constitution was nothing short of a plan to immortalise Putin.
Writing in the Russian edition of Forbes, Trudolyubov called the new
legislation an attempt to “‘codify Putin’, that is to create an undying
political body that will be able to live longer than an average mortal
president”.