This op-ed is written by Nikolai Rybakov, who has been serving as chair of the Russian United Democratic Party Yabloko since 2019. Yabloko is the oldest democratic party in Russia and continues fighting for a modern state.  

In Russia, the shelves in supermarkets are rapidly getting empty, sporting events and concerts are cancelled, as well as opposition rallies. COVID-19 has caused no less panic here than in Europe. It seemed like a quarantine regime was about to be introduced, but the government has been refusing to acknowledge the scale of the epidemic because then it will have to cancel one “mass event” which is very important for the authorities: the so-called All-Russia vote.

The All-Russia vote is currently postponed due to COVID-19 from its scheduled date of 22 April, when, according to the Kremlin’s plans, Russia’s citizens will approve constitutional amendments legitimising the de facto lifetime rule of Vladimir Putin. We at Yabloko want this vote and these amendments abolished altogether.

In recent months, the Presidential Administration has been looking to find legal grounds for prolonging the 20-year rule of Putin. His next presidential term, which by law was to be the last, expires in 2024.

Read the full article here.