Russian President Putin Dismisses Idea of Indefinite Presidential Terms

Vladimir Putin said that it would be better not to return to allowing the country’s head of state to serve for an indefinite term, making the statement in response to a proposal that was raised during a meeting with the president by a Russian war veteran to implement such a practice.
“When it comes to presidential terms, I understand that it’s tied to people’s concerns for stability in society, in the country, in foreign relations”, he said.
Putin added that it would be “extremely worrisome” to return to the practice of the mid-1980s in the USSR, when its leaders served until they died without preparing a proper transition of power.

© Sputnik / Alexey Nikolsky

Putin Orders Creation of Working Group on Preparation of Proposals on Amendments to Constitution

The Russian head of state’s statements come hot on the heels of his address to the country’s parliament, in which he proposed making constitutional amendments regulating the way presidents are elected, among other things. Namely, he suggested limiting presidential candidates to being Russian citizens who have never had foreign citizenship and require them to have lived in Russia for at least 25 years.

Additionally, Putin suggested removing a clause that allows a person to be re-elected as president after serving two terms and then leaving the post for at least one term.