Home » World » President in office until 2036 ?: Big victory for Putin in referendum

President in office until 2036 ?: Big victory for Putin in referendum

It is not entirely surprising – the referendum on a constitutional change, including the extension of the term of office of the Russian president, suggests a victory for Putin. According to initial results, 70 percent vote for him.

In a referendum in Russia, people adopted the largest constitutional change in the country’s history, according to the counting of the first ballot papers, with a large majority. According to the election management, around 70 percent of those entitled voted in favor of the new constitution, with which Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin could remain in power until 2036. 28.1 percent rejected the constitution, as the election management announced after counting more than 10 percent of the ballot papers. The results were published, although the polls had not yet ended in all parts of the country.

The turnout was given at almost 65 percent. In total, 110.5 million voters were called to vote in the largest country in the world with eleven time zones. The constitution contains many social promises, such as an annual pension adjustment.

In the far east of Russia, the authorities released the first results after the polling stations closed. This trend of a victory for the Kremlin coincided with post-election surveys by the state Wziom Institute, which were published on Monday. Independent pollsters hadn’t predicted such a clear victory.

The Home Office reported to the Interfax agency that there were more than 800 voting incidents. But there are no violations that could affect the result. The last polling stations were supposed to close in the evening at 8 p.m. CEST in the Kaliningrad exclave.

With the new constitution, Putin can remain in office with more powers for the next 16 years if he is re-elected. According to the old constitution of 1993, it would have been over in four years. Voters voted on an entire package of changes, including the guarantee that marriage would only be allowed between a man and a woman. Putin had stressed that same-sex marriages would not exist as long as he was in power.

Election observers are keenly critical

Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny said it was outrageous that the election commission was already publishing the first results during the ongoing vote. “They want to show intentionally that they are spitting on the law,” tweeted the opposition. “Your place is in the dock.” Independent election observers from the non-governmental organization Golos spoke of hundreds of violations. People were urged to vote and the electoral secret was often not respected, it said. In addition, many people are said to have voted multiple times.

Overall, the main day of the vote was peaceful. Opponents of the constitutional change demonstrated in Red Square in Moscow. However, the police intervened when several activists lay down on the pavement and formed the number 2036 – the year Putin might have left office, who would then be 83 years old. Opposition members called for demonstrations in Moscow and St. Petersburg. Larger campaigns are not allowed due to the corona pandemic.

The protests of the Kremlin’s opponents increasingly shifted to the Internet in advance. With the “Njet!” Campaign they called for a “no” at the ballot box. The opposition accuses Putin of coup d’état. The amendment to the Basic Law was without a constitutional committee and was therefore carried out illegally, it said. “No to the eternal Putin!” They wrote on leaflets. The vote was actually scheduled for April. However, due to the Corona crisis, it was postponed and extended to several days.

– .

Leave a Comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.