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Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed into law a raft of amendments to the constitution including a stipulation to enable the Russian leader to seek re-election.
The changes must be approved by the constitutional court in the next seven days before they are put to the Russian people in a referendum on April 22, according to a government document published on Saturday.
A majority of voters would have to approve the changes for them to be adopted, the document stated.
Earlier this week, the bill detailing nearly 400 changes to the constitution was rushed through the lower and upper houses of parliament on the same day.
The Russian parliament is dominated by United Russia, the political party most closely associated with Putin.

In its present form, the constitution allows a president to serve for two consecutive terms, obliging Putin to leave office in 2024.
Putin served two four-year terms as president from 2000 to 2008. After that, the constitution was amended to provide six-year terms, and Putin returned the presidency in 2012 and was re-elected in 2018.
Putin approves changes allowing him to stay in power until 2036
Among the most controversial of the changes is a stipulation to restart the counting for Putin's presidential terms, potentially paving the way for him to remain in office until 2036.
Critics and opposition figures have compared the move to a coup at a time when mass gatherings and demonstrations are forbidden due to coronavirus. There have been a number of individual protest vigils in Moscow.
The constitutional court, which has never defied the Kremlin under Putin, is expected to approve the changes.
The referendum will take place despite the coronavirus crisis, Chairwoman of the Federation Council Valentina Ivanovna Matviyenko said.


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Russia President Vladimir Putin signs sweeping constitutional changes into law, paving way for re-election

Russian President Vladimir Putin. Photo: dpa

TOPSHOT - A Russian police officer speaks with a protester as he holds a sign reading "Putin - resign" during an unsanctioned rally in front of the headquarters of the FSB security services in central Moscow on March 14, 2020. - Moscow police detained dozens of people at a protest against "political repressions" near the headquarters of the Russian security service, including a well-known human rights campaigner.The protest demanding to free political prisoners was called by supporters of several men convicted this year on terrorism charges, many of whom said in court they were tortured by the FSB security service. (Photo by Yuri KADOBNOV / AFP)

Vladimir Putin approves changes allowing him to stay in power until 2036

Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks at the State Duma in Moscow on Tuesday. Photo: EPA-EFE

Russian opposition politician Alexei Navalny takes part in a rally to mark the 5th anniversary of opposition politician Boris Nemtsov's murder and to protest against proposed amendments to the country's constitution, in Moscow, Russia February 29, 2020. REUTERS/Shamil Zhumatov

In this handout photo provided by The State Duma, The Federal Assembly of The Russian Federation, the world's first woman cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova speaks during a session prior to voting for constitutional amendments at the State Duma, the Lower House of the Russian Parliament in Moscow, Russia, Tuesday, March 10, 2020. Tereshkova, the first woman to have flown in space and a lawmaker with Russia's ruling party, proposed Tuesday to scrap presidential term limits in order to allow Russia President Vladimir Putin to run for re-election in 2024. (The State Duma, The Federal Assembly of The Russian Federation via AP)

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The changes must be approved by the constitutional court in the next seven days before they are put to the Russian people in a referendum on April 22



The changes must be approved by the constitutional court in the next seven days before they are put to the Russian people in a referendum on April 22.


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Russia President Vladimir Putin signs sweeping constitutional changes into law, paving way for re-election

.css-1mniedq{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;} The changes must be approved by the constitutional court in the next seven days before they are put to the Russian people in a referendum on April 22

The changes must be approved by the constitutional court in the next seven days before they are put to the Russian people in a referendum on April 22