Vladimir Putin’s presidency has taken a new turn after he gave final approval to legislation allowing him to hold office for two additional six-year terms, giving himself the possibility to stay in power until 2036. 68-year-old Putin has already been in power for more than two decades after he succeeded Boris Yeltsin in the Kremlin.

This development clearly suggests that Putin is going to become (or he has already become?) another Josef Stalin in the post-Soviet world in at least one key area: the longevity of rule. Stalin had ruled the then Soviet Union from 1932 to 1953 and he died as Soviet Union’s ruler.

Shaikh Akram (Karachi)

Copyright Business Recorder, 2021