Putin had planned to continue as president in January when he opened a constitutional shake-up that seemed to respect the term limit. The amendments were not true because one said to be close to Putin, while another called him a “smoking screen”. These all intended to allow him to dig a border-limit ban at the last minute to minimize potential opposition within the criminal elite.
These difficulties proved that Putin faced difficulty in maintaining a meticulous political balance. Kremlin factions began joking for positions ahead of a succession that was still four years away. Two officials said that “The move was seen as a way to end growing uncertainty by the president about his ability to take control and bring restless nobles into line”.
This is a condition of constitutional changes by the President, a national public vote is scheduled for April 22. What Putin did not plan could have an effect on Russia with an outbreak of coronavirus, which could force the Kremlin to delay the vote until June.
For his two decades in power, he was a stickler for the pretense of a democratic process that, if not substance, is hurting Russia to do something like Western rules. While he could choose not to run for president again in 2024, some people think he would pass up the opportunity.
