Well, that’s how it will probably play out anyway
In the words of a famous Mel Brooks character, it’s good to be the king. And as of yesterday in Russia, President Vladimir Putin might as well be royalty. On Monday, he signed a bill into law that formally “reset” his previous terms in office, wiping out the term limits that are supposedly in place and allowing him to run for two more terms if he chooses to do so. His current term isn’t up until almost three years from now so that would allow him to remain in office until 2036. But does that mean that he actually plans on sticking around that long? According to Putin, he hasn’t made up his mind yet. He’s apparently just keeping his options open. (Associated Press) Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday signed a law allowing him to potentially hold onto power until 2036, a move that formalizes constitutional changes endorsed in a vote last year. The July 1 constitutional vote included a provision that reset Putin’s previous term limits, allowing him to run for president two more times. The change was rubber-stamped by the Kremlin-controlled legislature and the relevant law signed by Putin was posted Monday on an official portal of legal information. The 68-year-old Russian president, who has been in power for more than two decades — longer than any other Kremlin leader since Soviet dictator Josef Stalin — said he would decide later whether to run again in 2024 when his current six-year term ends.
