Putin called the people a source of power in Russia

Putin: it is the people who are the source of power in Russia

All conditions have been created in Russia today so that every citizen can "freely express his will in elections," the president believes. He called the country's electoral system "rightfully one of the best in the world"

It is the Russian people who are the source of power in the country, President Vladimir Putin said in a video message on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the formation of the Central Election Commission (CEC), published on the Kremlin's website.

He called Russia's electoral system "rightfully one of the best in the world." According to him, it is based "on transparent and understandable electoral procedures for citizens, on strict compliance with the norms of electoral legislation, on the protection of national interests, the sovereignty of Russia and the free expression of the will of its citizens."

"It is the people who are the source of power in our country. He determines her path of development. And I would like to emphasize that the Central Election Commission is a huge merit in the effective implementation of the most important constitutional right of citizens — to elect and be elected," the president said.

The Head of State thanked the CEC "for a clear, verified organization of electoral processes." "You are independent in your work, there are no bosses over you, you make all decisions independently, publicly and collectively, obey only the laws and act on the principles of openness, transparency and the highest responsibility," Putin said. Separately, he expressed gratitude for the "bold and decisive" actions during the organization of elections in the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics, as well as the Zaporozhye and Kherson regions.

All conditions have been created in the country today so that every citizen can "freely express his will at the elections," he believes.

In September, Russia held elections at various levels in 85 subjects, including new regions. Direct elections of heads of regions were held in 21 regions. All the current governors, as well as in Rio, have retained their posts.

The Russian presidential election is due to take place in March 2024. Putin has not yet announced his participation in them. In September, at the plenary session of the Eastern Economic Forum, he refused to talk about his nomination until the parliament decided to hold elections. "When this decision is made, the elections will be announced, the date will be called, then we will talk," Putin said.

Presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov noted that although elections are a requirement of democracy, theoretically they can not even be held, because Putin's election is "already obvious," he called his words "absolutely personal opinion."

In 2020, the Constitution of Russia was amended. According to them, the same person cannot hold the post of head of state for more than two terms (previously there were "more than two consecutive terms"). At the same time, the amendments reset the deadlines for the current president and his predecessors. For Putin, the current term is already the fourth in a row.