Russians vote on reforms that could extend Putin's rule

Opposition campaigner slams vote as populist ploy and a violation of Constitution

Election commission members in anti-coronavirus protective suits watching as a man in Vostryakovo filled out his ballot paper during early voting yesterday on amendments to Russia's Constitution.
Election commission members in anti-coronavirus protective suits watching as a man in Vostryakovo filled out his ballot paper during early voting yesterday on amendments to Russia's Constitution. PHOTO: EPA-EFE

MOSCOW • Russians cast early ballots yesterday in a nationwide vote on constitutional reforms that could lead to President Vladimir Putin remaining in power until 2036.

Election officials opened polling stations in the lead-up to the official voting day on July 1 to reduce the risk of overcrowding that could spread the coronavirus.

Masks and disinfectant gels were made available to 110 million eligible voters across 10 time zones, and Russians in Vladivostok in the far east cast ballots wearing masks as election officials distributed ballot papers in gloves.

The Kremlin had reluctantly postponed the vote that was originally scheduled for April 22 as Covid-19 infections increased and officials imposed restrictions to slow the spread of the pandemic.

Mr Putin - in power as president or prime minister since 1999 - introduced the reforms to the 1993 Constitution in January.

They were hastily adopted by both Houses of Parliament and regional lawmakers, and the outcome of the referendum is seen as a foregone conclusion.

Mr Putin insisted that Russians vote on the changes even though a referendum is not legally required, arguing that a plebiscite would give the amendments legitimacy.

Opposition campaigner Alexei Navalny has slammed the vote as a populist ploy designed to give Mr Putin the right to be "president for life".

"It is a violation of the Constitution, a coup," he has said.

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Russians on Thursday began casting ballots in a marathon seven-day vote on reforms that could allow Vladimir Putin to stay in the Kremlin until 2036.

Among other changes, the reforms would reset Mr Putin's presidential term-limit clock to zero, allowing him to run two more times and potentially stay in the Kremlin until 2036. Under current rules, the 67-year-old's current term would expire in 2024.

Rallies scheduled in Moscow against the move in April were barred under virus restrictions against public gatherings.

The website of the "NO" campaign that collected signatures of Russians opposed to the reforms was blocked by a Moscow court in March, forcing it to relaunch.

Mr Sergey Panov, a 45-year-old voter in Saint Petersburg city, drove to his polling station before work specially to vote against the reforms. "This is the only thing I can do to keep my conscience clear and so I know that I did everything I could, even if it doesn't affect the final result," he said.

Senior political officials, meanwhile, have stressed the importance of giving Mr Putin a chance to remain in power.

Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin has described the reforms as necessary if the country wanted to "guarantee stability".

After casting his ballot without a mask or gloves in Moscow, former president and prime minister Dmitry Medvedev said the reforms would protect people who had lost their jobs due to the pandemic. They will "ensure targeted support to people, and help families with many children", he told reporters.

Mr Putin said last week that he had not decided whether to seek another term, but added that it was important that he have the option of running again.

"We must work and not look for successors," he said.

With the revised Constitution already on sale in Moscow bookstores, the outcome is largely seen as a foregone conclusion.

Experts at the state-run pollster VTsIOM projected earlier this week that as many as 71 per cent of voters would cast their ballots in favour of the reforms.

Yet the vote comes as Mr Putin is suffering historically low approval ratings over his handling of the pandemic and the economy.

The independent polling group Levada published a survey last month that showed his ratings at an all-time low of 59 per cent.

But on top of resetting Mr Putin's term limits, the reforms promise to enshrine conservative values that the Kremlin hopes will resonate with voters and attract a large turnout.

They include a mention of Russians' "faith in God" despite a long history as a secular country, and a stipulation effectively banning gay marriage.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on June 26, 2020, with the headline Russians vote on reforms that could extend Putin's rule. Subscribe