A lawmaker who is revered in Russia as the first woman to fly in space proposed either scrapping Russia‘s two-term limit for presidents or resetting the clock so Putin’s four terms wouldn’t count. Putin and the Kremlin-controlled State Duma quickly endorsed the proposal put forward by former Soviet cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova.
Putin, 67, has been in power for more than 20 years and is Russia’s longest-serving leader since Soviet dictator Josef Stalin. After serving two presidential terms in 2000-2008, he shifted to the Russian prime minister’s office while protege Dmitry Medvedev served as a placeholder president.
After the length of a presidential term was extended to six years under Medvedev, Putin reclaimed the presidency in 2012 and won another term in 2018.
A group of opposition activists called for a protest rally in Moscow on March 21, saying in a statement, “The country where the government doesn’t change for 20 years has no future,. they said in a statement.
Putin’s approval ratings have remained high despite a recent drop amid Russia’s economic troubles and stagnant living standards. It’s unclear if the fragmented and disorganized Russian opposition can mount a serious challenge to the Kremlin.
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