Putin sends his constitutional proposals to Parliament Russian President Vladimir Putin has submitted to Parliament a package of constitutional amendments widely seen as an attempt to secure his grip on power well after his current term ends in 2024MOSCOW -- Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday submitted to parliament a package of constitutional amendments widely seen as an attempt to secure his grip on power well after his current term ends in 2024. Putin first presented the proposed changes in his state-of-the-nation address Wednesday, arguing they are intended to bolster the role of Parliament and strengthen democracy. Putin proposed that the constitution must specify the authority of the State Council, an advisory body that consists of regional governors and top federal officials. Immediately after proposing the constitutional changes, Putin last week fired Medvedev, who had the job for eight years, and named tax chief Mikhail Mishustin to succeed him. Putin said that the constitutional changes need to be approved by the entire nation, but it wasn't immediately clear how such a vote would be organized.

Source: ABC News January 20, 2020 16:18 UTC