No one but Vladimir Putin can lead Russia, says state TV

There is no alternative to Vladimir Putin as Russian president, state television has announced after he engineered a power grab.

Busts of Vladimir Putin and predecessor Boris Yeltsin on sale in Moscow. Picture: AFP

There is no alternative to President Vladimir Putin as Russian leader, state television has announced after the Kremlin strongman engineered a power grab that could extend his rule until 2036.

The Russian parliament approved a package of reforms late on Wednesday that “reset the clock” on the number of terms that Mr Putin, 67, could serve as president.

Kirill Kleimyonov, the presenter of the Vremya news program, said: “Imagine … that you are against Putin. But who are you for? … I don’t even want to think about it.”

Critics say the Kremlin refuses to allow any genuine challengers to emerge against Mr Putin.

Alexei Navalny, the best known opposition figure, is barred from standing.

Mr Putin, who came to power in 2000, was due to step down in 2024 under rules that bar presidents from serving more than two consecutive terms. He served two four-year terms from 2000 to 2008 before shifting to the post of prime minister for four years while Dmitry Medvedev kept his presidential seat warm. Mr Putin returned to the presidency in 2012 after the term of office had been extended to six years.

According to an opinion poll published in January by the Levada Centre, an independent think tank in Moscow, only 27 per cent of Russians wanted Mr Putin to stay on as president after 2024. The constitutional court will rule on the reforms soon and Russians will vote on them in a ­nationwide vote on April 22.

Golos, an independent election monitoring group, expressed concerns about vote-rigging.

The Times