Vladimir Putin has decided to run in Russian presidential elections next March, news agencies reported Friday (Dec 12). The decision will allow Putin to extend his decades-long grip on power.
State-run news agencies reported that Putin told Lieutenant Colonel Artyom Zhoga, a Russian military officer, about his decision to participate in the upcoming vote following an awards ceremony for army personnel at the Kremlin.
This comes after Russian lawmakers on Thursday moved Putin a step closer to a fifth term in office by setting the date of the country’s 2024 presidential election for March 17, which was voted unanimously by the members of the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly.
Valentina Matviyenko, the head of the chamber, had said “With this decision, we are effectively launching the start of the election campaign.”
Matviyenko further added that residents of the parts of Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhia and Kherson regions of Ukraine, which were annexed by Russia, would take part in the vote for the first time.
She said, “By choosing a head of state together, we fully share the common responsibility and common destiny of our fatherland.”
Notably, in 2020, Putin made sure that he remains eligible to seek two more six-year terms after some constitutional reforms, which allowed him to remain in power until 2036.
(With inputs from agencies)
