Putin signs law that allows him to serve two more terms

<p>MOSCOW &mdash; Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday signed a law allowing him to potentially hold onto power until 2036, a move that formalizes constitutional changes endorsed in last year’s popular vote.</p>
<p>The July 1 constitutional vote included a provision that reset Putin’s previous terms, allowing him to run for president two more times. The change was rubber-stamped by the Kremlin-controlled legislature and the relevant law signed by Putin was posted Monday on an official portal of legal information.</p>
<p>The 68-year-old Russian president, who has been in power for more than two decades — longer than any other Kremlin leader since Soviet dictator Josef Stalin — said he would decide later whether to run again in 2024 when his current six-year term ends. </p>
<p>He has argued that resetting the term count was necessary to keep his lieutenants from “darting their eyes in search for possible successors" instead of normal work.”</p>
<p>The constitutional amendments also emphasized the priority of Russian law over international norms, outlawed same-sex marriages and mentioned “a belief in God” as a core value. Russian lawmakers have methodically modified the national legislation, approving the relevant laws.</p>