The result of the referendum: Everything is going according to Putin’s Plan

Vladimir Putin can, if he wants to, up to the year 2036, the President of Russia to stay. Because on Wednesday night, the long process of reconciliation, about Putin’s is gone in January, initiated Reform of the Constitution of 1993 to the end of. As expected, you must not be used for this purpose, the print output of the modified text, which will be sold in Russia since the days of for a few rubles, in.

Friedrich Schmidt

Political correspondent for Russia and the CIS in Moscow.

F. A. Z.

to agree that this is Still the beginning of last week, shortly before the beginning of the seven days of the main phase of the vote, had warned the Central election Commission to publish results before the official vote at the end on Wednesday evening: This was a violation of the law. On Wednesday, the same Commission published the first results of several hours before the official vote at the end. After the evaluation of 0.79 percent of the ballots, almost 73 per cent for Putin’s Reform voted accordingly.

98 per cent in Chechnya

Ella Pamfilova, the Commission Chairman, justified later, the publication was, however, not been banned and open a “additional control channel”. The Farce of the matching circuit was under an unprecedented procedure, which is likely to reduce for future elections and referendums in Russia and the low level of democratic elements.

From the point of view of the Kremlin, everything went according to Plan. In February, the presidential administration aim for 60% participation and 70% for the on was been reported, Yes. At the beginning of June was 55 percent, a more modest participation, and 60 percent approval. Now, the output exceeded the target officially yet: On Thursday morning, the Central election Commission reported the preliminary result of almost 78 per cent for the Yes, good, and 21 percent for the no, with a stake of nearly 68 percent. The result reminded so strongly to Putin’s recent acclamation in the presidential elections of 2018.

As it is in Russian conditions, was recorded in the Republic of Chechnya, where the ruler Ramzan Kadyrov Putin all the same life long, and his population hard controls, with almost 98 percent ” Yes ” votes, the highest result. A majority against the Changes, only the Autonomous territory of Nenets in Northern Russia as well as abroad, Russians from New York (310 for the 505, according to the competent Consulate General) voted, according to official figures. “A Triumph,” said Putin’s spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, on Thursday: It was a “triumphant Referendum on trust in President Putin”.