Putin says he opposes unlimited presidential term

Russia’s president Vladimir Putin said he opposes the idea of a system with unlimited term in office for the country’s leader, such as the one in the former Soviet Union.
The comment came at the commemorations for the 76th anniversary of the day the Siege of Leningrad was lifted. During the ceremony, a veteran proposed not having term limits for Russia’s president.
Putin, however, said that “it would be very disturbing to return to the situation of the mid-1980s, with the leaders of the state, one by one, staying in power until the end of their days”.
The comment sparked even bigger uncertainty about the country’s future political course. Just few days earlier, Putin suggested amending the constitution to allow lawmakers to name prime ministers and Cabinet members. The president currently holds the authority to make those appointments.
The move was seen as his attempt to stay in power even after his current presidential term by becoming a prime minister, a strategy to stay in charge that he already used before.
Last week, the country’s prime minister, Dmitry Medvedev, suddenly resigned, hours before the less-known head of Russia’s tax service, Mikhail Mishustin, was named as the next PM. Putin said the proposed constitutional changes were aimed at strengthening the powers of government bodies.