Polls & Research

Russians Back Longer Presidential Term

(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - Most people in Russia agree with a proposal to extend the tenure of the head of state and the members of the lower house, according to a poll by the All-Russian Public Opinion Research Center. 56 per cent of respondents agree with lengthening the presidential term from four to six years, and the State Duma’s term from four to five years.

Russian voters renewed the State Duma in December 2007. United Russia (YR)—whose candidate list was headed by then president Vladimir Putin—secured 64.1 per cent of the vote and 315 of the legislature’s 450 seats. On that same month, Putin endorsed Dmitry Medvedev as a presidential candidate, and Medvedev said it would be of the "utmost importance" to have Putin as prime minister.

In March, Medvedev easily won Russia’s presidential election with 70.28 per cent of the vote. In May, Medvedev was sworn in as president. His nomination of Putin as prime minister was confirmed by the State Duma in a 392-56 vote.

On Nov. 11, Medvedev tabled the proposal to extend the presidential and legislative terms. On Nov. 21, the bill was approved by the State Duma in a 388-58 vote.

Opposition leader Garry Kasparov suggested that the approved changes could allow Putin to govern for 12 consecutive years if he wins the 2012 presidential election. Kasparov called the measure "a cynical message to the Russian population and the rest of the world," adding, "This regime—this clique—is saying, ‘We are staying no matter what’."

Polling Data

Do you approve or disapprove of Russian president Dmitry Medvedev’s proposal to extend the term of the president from four to six years, and extend the term of the State Duma from four to five years?

Approve	56%
Disapprove	29%
Hard to answer	15%

Source: All-Russian Public Opinion Research Center
Methodology: Interviews with 1,600 Russian adults, conducted on Nov. 15 and Nov. 16, 2008. Margin of error is 3.4 per cent.