The Putin-era will still last a few years in Russia. On Wednesday, the country adopted the constitutional review scope that allows the current tenant of the Kremlin to stay in office until 2036. According to results released by the central electoral Commission, and which focused on nearly 61 % of the polling stations on Wednesday night around 23 hours, the Russians have validated by referendum this block of amendments to 77,02 %. In addition to the question of the number of presidential mandates, these amendments also introduce within the Constitution of the Russian the conservative principles of the president. The participation turned to the right, on it, around 65 %.
The vote, originally planned for April, was postponed because of the pandemic of Covid-19. To avoid too strong crowding in the polling stations, it went on for a week, and the voters were required to carry protective masks and gloves. There has never been any doubt as to the outcome of the election : the reform was approved by the legislature in the beginning of the year and the new text of the Constitution is already on sale in bookstores. Vladimir Putin had called on Tuesday to the Russians to guarantee “stability, security and prosperity” of Russia, he boasts of having gone out of the chaos of post-soviet.
The opponent Navalny denounced as a “huge lie”
The main opponent of the Kremlin, Alexei Navalny, spoke, commenting on these results, the “false” and”a huge lie”, calling on its supporters to mobilize for the next regional elections in September. “Putin has humiliated all over the world (…) Even in most of the countries of the Third world, there is not such a shame”, he launched, accusing the president of wanting “to lead Russia to life.” For Alexei Navalny, “nothing will be settled without going out in the street”. But he kept calling to manifestations in the immediate future.
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Amendment the most controversial : the granting Vladimir Putin the option of two terms at the end of the current in 2024. A necessity according to him, because the political class should not lose themselves in “a search for potential successors to”. This will provide him the opportunity to remain in the Kremlin until 2036, the year of its 84 years. Other amendments enhance certain powers to the presidential election. The revision also introduces into the Constitution of the conservative principles dear to the president – faith in God, marriage restricted to heterosexuals, patriotic teaching, as well as the social guarantees, such as the indexation of pensions.
popularity in decline
Yulia Zabolotova, a retired 83-year-old, was enthusiastic in a polling station in moscow on Wednesday : “It is necessary to support Putin, I have never lived so well as with him. He pulled the country out of chaos !”. Sergei Lepnoukhov, a lawyer in moscow for 47 years, on the contrary do décolérait not. “It should not touch the Constitution, it must be inalienable (…) but (Putin) wants to capture the power, then it is found a back door. It is shameful and unfortunate”. A small group of Muscovites has expressed his displeasure Pushkin square, in the centre of Moscow, without being dispersed by the police this number and despite the ban on rallies was imposed because of the new coronavirus, according to journalists of Agence France-Presse.
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The vote was taken on the background of a decline in the popularity of Vladimir Putin because of a pension reform decried, and the crisis of the Covid-19. From may 2018 to June 2020, the rate of endorsement of his policies, as measured by the independent institute Levada is down from 79 % to 60 %. According to critics of the Kremlin, the regime has multiplied the tricks to ensure a resounding success and voter turnout strong ballot, with for example a lottery with gifts for the participants and vouchers for those voting online.
2 000 violations of the election rules identified by an NGO
the most unusual was the installation of places of voting of fortune in the outside, in the courtyards or playgrounds, without great respect for the secrecy of the vote nor adequate monitoring of the polls. The aim of the manoeuvre, according to the opposition, was not to protect the electorate of the new coronavirus, but making a tailored result. The Russian army was as well targuée of the involvement of “99,991 %” in its staff. The NGO Golos, specialized in the observation of elections and honnie authorities, for its part, has identified more than 2,000 violations of the election rules such that pressure line officials and employees to go and vote. The electoral commission has found, for its part, “any serious offence” during the election.
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