Posted on 06/24/2005 1:22:23 PM PDT by RWR8189
MOSCOW -- Lawmakers are considering an electoral amendment next week that could open the way for President Vladimir Putin to run for a third term, prompting the opposition to accuse his supporters of trying to cling to power.
Putin has repeatedly said he will not change the constitution, which bars presidents from serving more than two consecutive terms.
A senior member of his United Russia party, however, submitted a legislative amendment Thursday that would allow Putin to stand for re-election if he stepped down before the end of his second term ends in March 2008, and if the next presidential poll held without his participation is declared invalid -- for example, because of low turnout.
The lawmaker, Alexander Moskalets, deputy head of the lower house's constitutional legislation committee, declined to comment on the initiative, which was part of a package of electoral legislation to be voted on in its second reading Wednesday.
But speculation has been rife that Putin would seek to stay in power beyond 2008. The 52-year-old former secret service chief, hand-picked to succeed former President Boris Yeltsin, has been highly popular since he was first elected in 2000.
Critics in the opposition accused the Kremlin clan of seeking a backdoor means for keeping Putin in office because they could not find a popular enough successor.
"They have decided to come up with various scenarios that would enable the president to stay on beyond 2008, because otherwise they will fear for their personal interests," said the leader of the nationalist Rodina (Homeland) party, Dmitry Rogozin, according to the news Web site Gazeta.ru.
Liberal opposition politician Irina Khakamada, who ran for president in 2004, suggested Putin's supporters, including in the powerful secret service faction that now hold top positions in state companies, were worried about their future.
(Excerpt) Read more at newsday.com ...
What say you?
Just a couple weeks ago you touted his 2 term limit as an example of him not being a totalitarian ruler.
"During his time in power, Putin has placed national television under effective state control, abolished the direct election of regional governors to make them virtual Kremlin appointees, and eliminated the right of independent lawmakers to run for parliament."
What say you?
Just a couple weeks ago you touted his 2 term limit as an example of him not being a totalitarian ruler.
"During his time in power, Putin has placed national television under effective state control, abolished the direct election of regional governors to make them virtual Kremlin appointees, and eliminated the right of independent lawmakers to run for parliament."
Hmmm... Some of us thought this was a possibility, and we were labeled nutbergers...
I think Putin has been a good president for Russia so far but part of being good is knowing when to go. He's got to go, and Russia needs a "New Russian" to lead them into the future.
Tell him that if Putin does it, Bush does it too!
I wonder what FR's resident Russky apologists will say.
In line with Russian law “you cannot run for president three times in a row,” he explained.
Funny, not in attendance on the thread yet...
FR has those? What the heck is their philosophy?
Lemmie guess... has something to do with Bush.
PS: Ronald Reagan in 1986 said that the term limit on presidents was "a mistake".
"Their constitution currently prevents consecutive terms it is not a life time ban. So at best for you Putin haters Putin would be out of the presidency for only 4 years."
Oh, please, you and the "Putin hater's" crap.
"PS: Ronald Reagan in 1986 said that the term limit on presidents was "a mistake"."
And THAT is one of the FEW things I disagree upon with the Gipper.
Why stop at 3? why not 5, or 10 terms? Why not President for life, like Hosni Mubarak, the leader of that so-called other democracy?
Why stop at 3? why not 5, or 10 terms? Why not President for life, like Hosni Mubarak, the leader of that so-called other democracy?
Czar Vlad.
neo-Stalinism
He may have said that, but I think it was a good thing in Reagan's case that he term limited.
Surely he would have won a third, maybe even a fourth term, but the effect of Alzheimer's would have started to become apparent as we entered the 90s.
Ronnie wrote the letter in '94 though.
I would have preferred Reagan to oversee the fall of the USSR and would have been much better than Bush 1, and I think Reagan would have been able to.
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