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2.0 Politics
2.1 Putin suggests constitutional changes
Russian President Vladimir Putin announced several constitutional amendments in the closing minutes of his annual state of the nation address on January 15 and changed the whole government.
Read bne IntelliNews’ coverage of the changes here: MOSCOW BLOG: Is Putin a megalomaniac?
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While Putin said the package of amendments should be put to a nationwide vote, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that vote does not entail a referendum.
The national vote on Putin’s package of constitutional amendments is expected to be held before May 1, a source in Russia’s upper house of parliament told the state-run TASS news agency.
The amendments Putin proposed are:
● Limit the presidency to two terms, regardless of whether they were served back-to-back.
● President not longer nominates ministers. That power given to the Duma.
● Tighten restrictions on presidential candidates, including banning them from holding second citizenship or permanent residency abroad and requiring them to have lived in Russia for 25 years.
● Prioritize the Russian Constitution over international treaties and other acts.
● Make the State Council — Putin’s advisory body that he established when he was first elected in 2000 — an official governing body.
● Appointments for heads of security agencies to be made by the
president after consultation with the Federation Council
● The Constitutional Court can be asked by the Head of State to review
the constitutionality of proposed federal laws before they are signed in
to law by the Head of State
● Ban lawmakers, cabinet ministers, judges and other federal-level officials from holding second citizenship or permanent residency abroad.
7 RUSSIA Country Report February 2020 www.intellinews.com
