Posted on 01/15/2020 9:46:07 AM PST by SeekAndFind
Russia's government has resigned, hours after President Vladimir Putin proposed sweeping constitutional changes that could prolong his stay in power.
PM Dmitry Medvedev said the president's proposals would significantly change Russia's balance of power.
Mr Putin asked Mr Medvedev to become deputy head of the National Security Council, which is chaired by Mr Putin.
The president later nominated tax service chief Mikhail Mishustin to replace Mr Medvedev as prime minister.
The unexpected announcement comes four years before Mr Putin's fourth term of office is due to end.
Under the existing constitution, he would not be entitled to another term.
The Russian leader said during a speech to both chambers of parliament that there would be a nationwide vote on changes that would shift power from the presidency to parliament.
Russian government sources told the BBC that ministers did not know about the government's resignation ahead of the announcement.
"It was a complete surprise," one source said.
Mr Medvedev has been prime minister for several years. He previously served as president from 2008-2012, switching roles with Mr Putin - a close ally - after the latter served his first two terms as president.
Russia's constitution only allows presidents to serve two consecutive terms.
Even when he was prime minister, Mr Putin was widely seen as the power behind then President Medvedev.
"These changes, when they are adopted... will introduce substantial changes not only to an entire range of articles of the constitution, but also to the entire balance of power, the power of the executive, the power of the legislature, the power of judiciary," Mr Medvedev said of Mr Putin's proposals.
"In this context... the government in its current form has resigned."
(Excerpt) Read more at bbc.com ...
Well, Mr. Gog, eh?
There go my vacation plans.
Trump will have more flexibility after November...
AHA! COLLUSION!!!!!! IMPEACH!!!!
Oh, wait, that was Obama.
Why dont the dude just declare himself czar and stop with the scam?
It’s pretty sad when they put more effort in pretending than we in believing. You almost want to just call the guy a cab and tell him to go home, and sleep it off.
“I will make it legal”
How is what Putin doing any different from what the Democrats have done?
Czar Vladimir I
Nothing like seeing a dictator or Tiny Mikey Doomberg in action.
If you didn’t already know, Putin is an autocrat. It’s a shame. Will Russians ever be free?
Pooty-Poot wants to make tsars great again.
Never been a fan of Vlad. Ever since that time he allowed his big dogs into the room to intimidate an obviously nervous Angela Merkel while knowing she was afraid of dogs, I knew he was deep down a sleaze. Not that I’m much of a fan of Merkel, but that was really sickening he did that.
He only cares about what most Russians care about-being a Great Power, no matter the cost or who has to suffer to do it. As many historians have noted, Russians can’t live in a nation-state. They must always have an empire or some form of “great” dictator. Russia is alwas
Do Putin and Pelosi share the same DNA???
Don’t like Vlad but is more alarming is the Russian people love this man. Former KGB, but I would argue Merkel, ex Stasi, is a far worse human being.
Some of these comments I am reading here were written by Rachel Maddow or Adam Schiff.
I’m reading Ted Bell’s 2015 “Patriot” - the plot of the story COULD be the headlines of today:
“”In corrupt Russia, an erratic Vladimir Putin is determined to forge his country into a formidable superpower once again. He intends to redraw the map of Europe, and will go to impossible extremes to realize his fantasies—including shooting down a civilian airliner packed with tourists bound for China. Kremlin scientists have developed a radical new weapon that could forever alter modern warfare. NATO, locked in a tense standoff over Ukraine, Poland, and Estonia, knows Putin will not hesitate to use it. But there is one man who can bring the world back from the brink: Britain’s foremost intelligence asset, Lord Alexander Hawke.””
Sounds like it was written by the anti-Trumper Democrat dirty dossier writer known as Christopher Steele.....
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.