Russia’s State Duma Approves Bill Allowing Putin to Run for New Term

The Russian parliament’s lower chamber, the State Duma, has approved the third and final reading of a bill containing constitutional amendments that will allow President Vladimir Putin to run for a fifth presidential term in 2024.A total of 383 lawmakers voted for the bill on Wednesday, with 43 abstaining and no votes against.State Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin told journalists earlier that about 390 amendments were proposed by Putin and a special working group on the changes.Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks a session prior to voting for constitutional amendments at the State Duma, the Lower House of the Russian Parliament in Moscow, March 10, 2020.One of the amendments approved by the State Duma will set Putin’s previous presidential terms back to zero, giving him the right to run for a new term in 2024 after his current second sequential presidential term ends. This raises the possibility that he could stay in power until 2036 if he wins in 2024 and then gets reelected six years later.The constitutional changes must be approved by the Constitutional Court and will be considered legally approved if more than half of the country’s voters support it.A referendum on the issue has been scheduled for April 22.
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