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Putin Finally Admits Russia’s Coronavirus Problem and Pushes Back Vote on Making Him President for Life

Russians were due to vote next month on giving Putin the power to remain president until 2036—or potentially for life.

Vladimir Putin has pushed back a public vote on giving him powers to vastly extend the length of time he can remain as Russia’s president. The vote, which was scheduled for April 22, will now be postponed until after the novel coronavirus pandemic is under control. The constitutional changes up for vote include resetting the number of terms served by current and former presidents. If passed, it could allow Putin, 67, to remain president until 2036—or even potentially for life. The Moscow Times reports Putin made the announcement in a surprise television address to the Russian people Wednesday. “We managed to restrain the spread of the disease, but it is impossible to completely block the penetration of coronavirus,” he said. “Don’t think that ‘This can’t happen to me.’ It can happen to anyone.... The most important thing is to stay home.” It’s the most explicit acknowledgement yet that Russia has a coronavirus problem—Putin has repeatedly downplayed its severity in the country. Reuters reports 658 cases were recorded as of Wednesday, and that Moscow’s mayor told Putin the “real scale of the problem in the capital far exceeded official figures.”