AFP, Moscow :
Russian lawmakers vote Tuesday on a package of constitutionalreforms as President Vladimir Putin looks to put his stamp on the country for decades to come.
The reforms-expected to sail through the lower house State Duma in the key second reading-will overhaul Russia’s political system and enshrine conservative values in the country’s basic law.
Critics have accused Putin of planning to use the proposals to hold on to power after his current term expires in 2024.
Others suggest that after more than 20 years in power, Putin is preparing for a smooth succession, amid fears of a chaotic struggle for power when the longtime leader goes.
“This isn’t about me,” Putin, 67, said at a meeting with the public in the central city of Ivanovo on Friday.
“We are proposing amendments not for five or 10 years but at least for 30 to 50 years. This is not about now.”
Putin shocked the country by announcing the reforms during his state of the nation speech in January, with Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev’s unpopular government resigning a few hours later. They will be the first major changes to Russia’s constitution since 1993, when a new basic law was adopted following the collapse of the Soviet Union.
The reforms will give parliament the power to choose the government, while strengthening some presidential powers and increasing the role of the State Council, an advisory body.
This fuelled speculation that Putin could stay on after 2024 as the head of the State Council, though he has denied any wish to remain in power.
