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Russian President Vladimir Putin – Photo: REUTERS
The Moscow Times newspaper cited a law signed on December 22 that says lifetime parliamentary terms are granted to former presidents whether they leave office or resign early.
Furthermore, this law also allows the Russian president to appoint 30/170 seats in the Russian Senate, including 7 seats for a lifetime.
The law is part of many reforms Putin initiated over the past year. Observers are closely monitoring the changes for clues about what Putin will do after the end of his current presidency.
In early November 2020, Russian lawmakers presented a bill to Congress that would grant life-long prosecution to former presidents. According to the Reuters news agency, this bill has the strong support of the Russian Chamber.
Before that, former Russian presidents were only exempt from prosecution for actions while in office.
Russia has also revised the Constitution on presidential term limits, allowing current President Putin to serve two more terms and be in power until 2036. Putin emphasized that the previous amendments are necessary to guarantee “stability, security and prosperity.” of Russia in the future.
Putin’s current term ends in 2024. At a press conference last week, the Russian president said he has yet to decide whether or not to continue.
Former Russian president may be exempt from prosecution for life
