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A28 WORLD NEWS
Tuesday 14 april 2020
Coronavirus upends Putin's political agenda in Russia

By DARIA LITVINOVA coronavirus. The outbreak
Associated Press has completely reset the
MOSCOW (AP) — Spring Kremlin's political agenda,
is not turning out the way said Nikolai Petrov, a senior
Russian President Vladimir research fellow in Chatham
Putin might have planned House's Russia and Eurasia
it. Program.
A nationwide vote on April "Everything that was hap-
22 was supposed to finalize pening before (the out-
sweeping constitutional re- break) has basically been
forms that would allow him wiped out," Petrov told The
to stay in power until 2036, Associated Press.
if he wished. But after the "That whole political agen-
coronavirus spread in Rus- da (of constitutional re-
sia, that plebiscite had to form), that had been un-
be postponed – an action folding since mid-January
so abrupt that billboards is over."
promoting it already had He added that for the mo-
been erected in Moscow ment, "I think we can forget
and other big cities. about the constitutional
Now under threat is a amendments."
pomp-filled celebration It comes as the prices of
of Victory Day on May 9, oil, Russia's main source of
marking the 1945 defeat of income, plummeted amid
Nazi Germany in World War In this Thursday, May 9, 2019 file photo, Russian President Vladimir Putin walks to attend a military a price war with Saudi Ara-
II. parade marking 74 years since the victory in WWII in Red Square in Moscow, Russia. bia, causing a sharp drop
The holiday has become Associated Press in the ruble. The pandemic
the most important on Rus- much of Russia and the pandemic has posed an changes a democratic ve- brought with it the pros-
sia's calendar, and this year world locked down to stop unexpected challenge neer. Campaigns promot- pects of more economic
is the 75th anniversary, with the spread of the virus. for Putin, whose political ing the vote had already devastation.
world leaders invited to a Kremlin spokesman Dmitry standing now depends on kicked off in dozens of Rus- As much of Russia went
celebration highlighting Peskov said last week no whether he can contain sian regions. into lockdown, which Putin
the country's exceptional decision has been made on the damage from it. In preparation for the vote sugarcoated by describ-
role in history. Every year, whether to postpone it but On March 24, Putin was and Victory Day, Russia's ing it as "nonworking days,"
thousands gather in Mos- authorities are considering shown donning a yellow state news agency Tass many business operations
cow, including many elder- "options," one of which is hazmat suit to visit a hospi- had begun releasing parts came to a halt, prompting
ly veterans proudly wearing to hold it without the veter- tal for infected patients. of a three-hour interview fears of a mass shutdown
their medals. ans, a group especially vul- Officials then indefinitely with Putin, with the 67-year- by companies and leaving
Military units have already nerable to the virus. Peskov postponed the vote on old leader talking about millions unemployed.
rehearsed the traditional added the Kremlin would the constitutional reforms what he had done for the The Chamber for Trade
Red Square parade, drilling understand if foreign lead- that would have allowed country in the past 20 years and Industries, a govern-
outside Moscow, and lead- ers decided not to come Putin to serve two more and what more needs to ment-backed business as-
ers such as France's Em- due to the pandemic and six-year terms after 2024. be accomplished. sociation, predicted 3 mil-
manuel Macron and India's added the celebration The amendments already But Tass suspended daily lion companies could go
Narendra Modi had prom- would take place even if it have been approved by extracts of the interview, out of business and 8 million
ised to attend. doesn't happen on May 9. lawmakers but the gov- saying it was no longer rele- people — almost 11% of
It would seem impossible to Initially underestimated ernment wanted nation- vant to an audience more Russia's working population
have such a gala now, with by Russian authorities, the wide balloting to give the concerned about the — could end up jobless.q

Mexico hospital staff protest lack of

protective equipment

protective gear as their she received only one public hospital in a capital
hospital receives more pa- flimsy mask per day even suburb wrote a public letter
tients suffering from CO- though she works on a floor to the health secretary ask-
VID-19. with dozens of patients with ing for help after more than
Dozens of nurses, doctors the new coronavirus. two dozen members of the
and other personnel from At least one nurse has al- staff at another public hos-
the October 1 Hospital car- ready died at the hospital pital were sickened by the
ried handwritten signs and and a doctor is in intensive virus.
shouted for assistance. The care, she said. Calls to the The federal government
People attending doctor appointments inside a public hospital hospital is part of Mexico's hospital and the agency has said it is getting more
peer through the window at nurses and hospital workers public health system for that runs it were not imme- protective gear to hospi-
protesting outside, behind a sign that reads in Spanish "We want
protection" in Mexico City, Monday, April 13, 2020. government workers. diately answered. tals.
Associated Press. One nurse, who had Mexico has seen a growing Mexico has reported more
worked at the hospital for number of such protests in than 4,500 confirmed cases
By CHRISTOPHER SHERMAN workers briefly blocked a more than 20 years, but recent weeks as the epi- of COVID-19 and nearly
Associated Press street in Mexico City on requested anonymity to demic spreads. Last week, 300 deaths.q
MEXICO CITY (AP) — Health Monday to demand more avoid repercussions, said residents and interns at a