MOSCOW -- An amendment to the Russian Constitution approved by the country's voters on Tuesday was the result of a heavy-handed rule change by Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The constitutional reforms were engineered by Putin to keep him in his position as supreme leader. There is no doubt that the main focus of the constitutional amendment was to reverse the scenario of Putin's retirement at the end of his term in 2024.
Yet there was no indication that Putin or senior administration officials were seeking voters' understanding of the article on the president's continuance when the nationwide vote was held. Putin apparently will be open to criticism for concealing the provision on the president's continued tenure from the main points of contention.
The current Constitution, enacted in 1993 under the administration of Russian President Boris Yeltsin, proclaims universal values such as democracy and freedom.
In 2018, Putin vowed that he had no intention of revising the Constitution to benefit himself. However, he easily reversed his previous statement to maintain political power, and did not achieve accountability.
The constitutional change reflects Putin's political stance on prioritizing regime survival ahead of the rights of the people.
The amendment shows Putin's sense of mission to revive the prestige of a great power lost with the collapse of the former Soviet Union, and to reestablish the "empire" in his own hands.
The revised Constitution will retain language such as democracy, but it enshrines ultraconservative values that include principles not allowing faith in God and same-sex marriage, according to the Russian influential newspaper Vedmosti.
It also includes protections for Russians living abroad that could be used justify intervention in foreign countries, like Russia's annexation of Crimea in southern Ukraine in 2014.
Putin took the presidency at the age of 47. And now, 20 years later, there are no signs of the former days when Putin stepped closer to the West and spoke of achieving democracy.
Two years ago, Chinese President Xi Jinping successfully amended China's Constitution to remove term limits on the presidency.
Japan, Europe and the United States must be vigilant in the face of a series of moves by China and Russia as their leaders aim to continue their strong rule.
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