Russia to hold presidential elections in March

Russia will hold presidential elections on March 17, following a vote in the Russian Senate on Thursday.

The election date was approved during a session of the Federation Council — the Russian parliament’s upper house — with 162 senators backing the timing, state-owned newswire TASS reported.

President Vladimir Putin, who has been in power either as president or prime minister for 24 years, has yet to formally announce a new presidential bid.

But there is no doubt he will run again, and he is more than likely to win, having successfully silenced almost all of his domestic political opposition.

If — or rather when — he wins, Putin would remain in power until at least 2030.

The Russian leader first became president following Boris Yeltsin’s resignation in December 1999. He also ruled the country during a brief stint as prime minister between 2008 and 2012, as the Russian constitution would not allow him to serve three presidential terms in a row.

In 2021, Putin signed into law new legislation that would allow him to potentially serve as president until 2036, side-stepping the constitutional term limit.