Yeltsin Pushed New Constitution as President
During his presidency, Boris Yeltsin pushed through a constitution that guaranteed a strong leader, the Associated Press reports in this obituary.
Yeltsin has died at the age of 76.
The 1993 constitution may support executive power, but it limits the time that President Vladimir Putin can serve in office.
The head of Russia’s upper house of parliament has suggested that the constitution should be amended to allow Putin to run for a third term, the Los Angeles Times reports.
Communist Party leader Gennady A. Zyuganov told Interfax he opposes the proposal, according to the Times story.
“Today the head of our state has more powers than a pharaoh and czar together once had, because it is the president who appoints everyone he needs and dismisses undesirable persons,” he said.
