Rally staged by a loyalist pro-Putin youth group at Moscow State University
Photo: Michail Galustov
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No Third Term
// Central Elections Commission does not trust citizens with Putin's future
The citizens of Russia will not be able to hold a referendum on a third presidential term for Vladimir Putin. That decision by the Central Elections Commission will be made public today, Kommersant has learned, in response to an initiative that originated in North Ossetia. Now, only a constitutional amendment, passed by the State Duma with approval by a majority of two-thirds, the Federation Council with approval by three-quarters and regional parliaments with approval by two-thirds of them, can open the way to a third presidential term.
The North Ossetian movement Accord and Stability began the referendum initiative at the beginning of this month. A negative decision by a plebiscite to the question “Do you agree that one person cannot hold the post of president of the Russian Federation for more than two terms” would be an expression of the people's will to see Vladimir Putin remain president after his second term expires. The CEC, however, does not consider it possible to hold such a referendum. CEC member Elena Dubrovina explained that a positive result in the referendum would only confirm a constitutional norm but a negative result would not change the Constitution.
The further plans of Accord and Stability are unknown. But experts note that the CEC in its decision has prevented Russia from taking the course of Belarus, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan, when referenda were used to extend presidents' terms.
Yabloko member Viktor Sheinis, one of the authors of the Russian Constitution, pointed out to Kommersant that there is a second way to allow for a third term, besides amending the Constitution. That is to pass a new constitution. There is not enough time to do so before the 2008 elections, however. Only a constitutional assembly can draft a new constitution, and there is still no law on forming a constitutional assembly in Russia. Sheinis also opined that it is still possible for a constitutional amendment to pass before the next presidential election. Chechen parliamentarians have already introduced an initiative to that effect in the Duma. Gorbachev Fund analyst Andrey Ryabov noted that the initiative has its main support among those in the Kremlin who will not maintain their power after Putin's departure.
Victor Hamrayev
All the Article in Russian as of Sep. 27, 2006
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