The United States is concerned that amendments to the Russian constitution would potentially allow President Vladimir Putin to stay in power until 2036, State Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus told Sputnik on Thursday
WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 02nd July, 2020) The United States is concerned that amendments to the Russian constitution would potentially allow President Vladimir Putin to stay in power until 2036, State Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus told Sputnik on Thursday.
"We are especially concerned with a provision in the amendments that would potentially allow President Putin to remain in power until 2036," Ortagus said.
The State Department also said that Washington was "troubled" by reports alleging that Russian authorities were engaged in manipulating the results of the constitutional amendments, including reports "of voter coercion," restrictions of observers and pressure on opponents, something Moscow has denied. Ortagus did not provide any evidence to prove these allegations.
The all-Russian vote was originally scheduled for April 22, but was then postponed to July 1 due to the COVID-19 outbreak. Russia's Central Election Commission said earlier in the day, after 100 percent of the ballots were processed, that 77.92 percent of Russians backed the amendments.
