MOSCOW, August 31 (RIA Novosti) - The chairman of Russia's Central Election Commission (CEC), Alexander Veshnyakov, spoke Wednesday against amending the Russian Constitution to allow the incumbent president to run for a third term.
"Every citizen has the right to expresses his or her own initiatives since we live in a democratic society," Veshnyakov said. "However, the proposals must comply with the constitution."
He said that he believed the constitution should not be amended, including with regard to this issue.
Veshnyakov said this is essential to avoid whipping up political passions, and to ensure stability and the disciplined organization of authorities' work, as well as the succession of power using the procedures set by the Russian Constitution and the Law on Elections.
"Deciding such fundamental issues for a specific person means not respecting yourself or the country," Veshnyakov said.
President Vladimir Putin's second presidential term expires in 2008.
When asked this August whether he intended to run for the presidency in 2008, Putin said: "Maybe I would like to [remain president], but the country's constitution does not allow me to do this."
