The Russian parliament’s lower house has passed legislation that could allow President Vladimir Putin to remain in power until 2036. The proposal states that he can run two more times in the presidential elections.

 

The possible additional terms of office for 68-year-old Putin are part of a package of reforms. Voters were allowed to vote on this in a referendum last year.

After the State Duma’s approval, the upper house of parliament must also give the green light. This is expected to happen later this month. After that, the president himself also has to put his signature on it.

Putin has dominated Russian politics for about 20 years. The former KGB intelligence officer was alternately president and the prime minister but always the undisputed leader of his country. By switching positions, he was able to bypass the limit on the president’s maximum terms in office.

The opposition is not getting a foot in the door in Putin’s Russia. The president remains very popular among a large segment of the population, according to independent polls. His political opponent Alexei Navalny is now serving a 2.5-year prison sentence in a penal colony.

This means that the opposition leader is unlikely to be able to play a significant role in the run-up to this year’s parliamentary elections.