Vladimir Putin signs legislation authorizing him to serve two more terms as Russia's president.

 Vladimir Putin signs legislation authorizing him to serve two more terms as Russia's president.

MOSCOW, Russia — Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a law on Monday that allows him to stay in power until 2036, formalising constitutional reforms approved in a referendum last year.

 Vladimir Putin signs legislation authorizing him to serve two more terms as Russia's president.

Putin's prior term limits were reset in the July 1 constitutional referendum, enabling him to run for president two more times. The reform was approved by the Kremlin-controlled legislature, and the related legislation, signed by Putin, was published on an official legal information portal on Monday.

The 68-year-old Russian president, who has been in power for more than two decades - the longest tenure of any Kremlin leader since Soviet dictator Josef Stalin - said he will decide later whether to run for re-election in 2024, when his current six-year term expires.

                                                             

Resetting the word count, he says, was important to keep his lieutenants focused on their jobs rather than "darting their eyes in search of potential successors."

The constitutional amendments also stressed Russian law's primacy over international standards, prohibited same-sex marriages, and listed "faith in God" as a core value. During the week-long campaign, which ended on July 1, nearly 78 percent of voters approved the constitutional amendments. The voter turnout was 68 percent.

Following the vote, Russian legislators went through the process of modifying national legislation and authorizing the applicable laws. 

The opposition slammed the constitutional referendum, claiming that it was marred by widespread allegations of voter intimidation and other irregularities, as well as a lack of accountability and barriers to impartial oversight.