MOSCOW, June 2. /TASS/: A constitutional amendment that will allow incumbent Russian President Vladimir Putin seek reelection after his current term is over will serve as a buffer against the unexpected, leader of the A Just Russia party Sergei Mironov told reporters.
"If the incumbent president gets a chance to stand in the next election, it will create the necessary buffer against any unexpected developments, particularly given global political challenges," he pointed out. "There is no other leader with similar experience and authority within the country and on the international stage. It would be wrong to deprive Putin of the opportunity to participate in competitive elections," Mironov said.
"Maintaining the constitutional norm about two presidential terms does not run counter to resetting Vladimir Putin’s presidential term tally to zero. It is a strategic decision that will have far-reaching positive consequences," he emphasized.
Russia’s State Duma (the lower house of parliament) passed the second reading of a bill on constitutional amendments on March 10, adopting an amendment that would remove presidential term limits. Putin welcomed the initiative, saying, however, that the Constitutional Court must check the amendment before it took effect. The court announced on March 16 that the move would be consistent with the Constitution.
