Novaya Gazeta, 25.03.2020

The so-called all-Russian vote will not give legitimacy to the document, which, in bypassing of the procedures established in the Constitution of the Russian Federation, was composed and unanimously approved by the President, [both] the chambers of the Federal Assembly, all subjects of the Federation and the Constitutional Court. The main [Constitutional] amendment – on the actual nullification of the terms of the presidency of Vladimir Putin, – as well as a number of others, fundamentally contradict the norms and principles enshrined in the fundamental Chapters 1 and 2 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation, and were adopted in bypassing the requirements of Chapter 9, therefore, it is about “resetting” of the Basic Law of the country, and about constitutional lawlessness.

The “amendments” “entered into force” being imposed on society by force and deceit. Now we are living in a different, more authoritarian state, and the maneuver with giving it quasi-legitimacy by an “all-Russian voting” is just a crafty attempt by the authorities to hide the fact of a constitutional coup.

The authorities want to involve citizens into this false and unlawful undertaking, sullying not only themselves, but also each of us.

The intention [of the authorities] to conduct the vote during an outbreak of a dangerous epidemic once again demonstrates the disregard by the bureaucratic and oligarchic groups which usurped the power for their people – the only legitimate bearer of the state sovereignty. Citizens should say ‘no’ to this attempt, but an “electronic”, “home-based” and “early” vote, conducted in the absence of independent observers, all the more turns the whole undertaking into a farce that in no way legitimises the insignificant “amendments”.

We do not know the terms, but we know that this shameful page in the history of the Russian state will be turned over. Experts of the Public Constitutional Council during the discussion of the so-called amendments prepared a whole package of documents aimed at updating the Constitution of the Russian Federation on a democratic, lawful European basis.

We are confident that these proposals will soon be in demand by the people of Russia.

Founders of the Public Constitutional Council:

Yevgeny Gontmakher

Leonid Nikitinsky

Vladimir Ryzhkov

Grigory Yavlinsky