Following a vote in the Russian Senate on Thursday, the 7th of December, it has been decided that Russia will hold presidential elections on the 17th of March, reports Politico.
The date was officially confirmed at a meeting of the Federation Council, the upper house of the Russian parliament and 162 lawmakers supported the proposed date, according to the state news agency TASS.
About 110 million people in Russia have the right to vote, but about 70-80 million usually vote, reports Reuters.
President Vladimir Putin, who has been in power for 24 years as either president or prime minister, has not officially announced his candidacy for the upcoming presidential elections. However, he is expected to run and his victory seems very likely, given that much of the domestic political opposition is suppressed, according to Politico.
If Putin wins, he would extend his term at least until 2030.
Vladimir Putin took office as President in 1999 after Boris Yeltsin’s resignation. He was Prime Minister from 2008 to 2012, as the Russian constitution does not allow three consecutive presidential terms.
But the 2008 amendments extended the presidential term to six years, while the 2020 amendments abolished the rule that no person can serve more than two “consecutive” terms as president and Putin could potentially remain president until 2036, according to Reuters.
Read also: Putin will remain in power after 2024 elections, sources say
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