Russians support constitutional amendments
Russian President Vladimir Putin shows his passport to a member of a local electoral commission as he arrives to cast his ballot in a nationwide vote on constitutional reforms at a polling station in Moscow on Wednesday.
Russians have overwhelmingly backed constitutional reforms that will allow President Vladimir Putin to participate in the 2024 presidential race, official data released on Thursday showed.
A total of 77.92 percent of Russians have backed a total of 206 amendments to the country’s constitution in a referendum, while 21.27 percent have voted against them. The results were displayed on a billboard outside the Russian Central Election Commission, after all of the ballots were counted.
The turnout exceeded 64 percent, according to officials.
Russians began voting last week on the package of constitutional changes proposed by Putin in January, including a reset of presidential term limits allowing him to run twice again after his current six-year term ends in 2024.
Russia’s two houses of parliament previously approved the amendments but Putin said they would only take effect if supported by a majority of voters.
In a recent TV interview, Putin said he does not rule out the possibility of bidding for another presidential term if constitutional amendments are adopted. “I have not decided anything for myself yet. I don’t exclude the possibility of this. If the constitution allows the opportunity, we will see,” he said.
The results demonstrated society’s support for the country’s development course proposed by President Putin, Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin said at a government meeting on Thursday.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that it was a “triumphal” referendum on public trust in Putin. “Now the Russians have backed all the initiatives to amend the constitution. This will certainly become the foundation for a better future for the country,” he said.
Under the updated constitution, more power will be given to the parliament.
The State Duma, the lower parliament house, will be able to veto the president’s appointment of prime minister, while the Federation Council, the upper parliament house, will be able to refuse approval of the president’s appointments of prosecutor general, as well as their deputies and regional prosecutors.
One of the amendments establishes the priority of the Russian constitution over international law, while another declares the inalienability of the Russian territory.
The new constitution guarantees that the minimum wage will be no lower than the subsistence minimum of the able-bodied population, and that pensions will increase regularly.
Initially planned for April 22, the referendum was postponed by the coronavirus pandemic but rescheduled after Putin said the epidemic had peaked and officials began reporting lower numbers of new cases.
Ella Pamfilova, head of the commission, said the vote had been transparent and that officials had done everything to ensure its integrity. At a polling station in Vladivostok in Russia’s Far East, 79-year-old Valentina Kungurtseva said she supported the reforms. “For us as pensioners, it’s very important that they will increase our pension every year,” she said.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said on Thursday that the results of the vote have indicated the choice of the Russian people.
“As a friendly neighbor and comprehensive strategic partner of coordination for a new era, China, as always, will respect the development path chosen by the Russian people and support Russia’s efforts to achieve long-term stability and security and promote social and economic development,” Zhao said.
