<p>Russian President Vladimir Putin said Monday that a delayed vote on constitutional reforms allowing him to potentially stay in power beyond 2024 would be held on July 1.</p>.<p>"We will carry out the national vote on amendments to the Constitution of the Russian Federation on July 1," Putin said in a video call with election officials, after the vote was delayed from April because of the coronavirus pandemic.</p>.<p>Putin announced a series of surprise constitutional reforms earlier this year, including a provision that would reset the clock on his term limits to zero.</p>.<p>This would allow Putin, 67, to run for president again when his fourth term expires in 2024, and potentially to stay in power until 2036.</p>.<p>A public vote on the reforms had been planned for April 22 but had to be postponed after Russia saw a surge in coronavirus cases that has since seen it record the world's third-highest number of cases.</p>.<p>The rise in infections has been declining in recent days, prompting Putin to announce an easing of lockdown measures and the rescheduling of a May 9 Victory Day parade for June 24.</p>.<p>He said last week that Russia had passed the peak of the pandemic and told officials on Monday that it was time to plan again for the vote.</p>.<p>"As the situation with the pandemic improves we of course are returning to normal life, including the need to think about further work on amendments to the constitution," Putin said.</p>.<p>He added that officials needed to pay "special attention" to safety issues in organising the vote, saying public health needed to be the "first and foremost priority".</p>.<p>Critics have denounced the constitutional reforms as a power grab by Putin, 20 years after he first came to power.</p>.<p>Putin served the maximum two consecutive terms between 2000 and 2008 before a four-year stint as prime minister.</p>.<p>He returned to the Kremlin in 2012 for a newly expanded six-year mandate and was re-elected to a fourth Kremlin term in 2018.</p>
<p>Russian President Vladimir Putin said Monday that a delayed vote on constitutional reforms allowing him to potentially stay in power beyond 2024 would be held on July 1.</p>.<p>"We will carry out the national vote on amendments to the Constitution of the Russian Federation on July 1," Putin said in a video call with election officials, after the vote was delayed from April because of the coronavirus pandemic.</p>.<p>Putin announced a series of surprise constitutional reforms earlier this year, including a provision that would reset the clock on his term limits to zero.</p>.<p>This would allow Putin, 67, to run for president again when his fourth term expires in 2024, and potentially to stay in power until 2036.</p>.<p>A public vote on the reforms had been planned for April 22 but had to be postponed after Russia saw a surge in coronavirus cases that has since seen it record the world's third-highest number of cases.</p>.<p>The rise in infections has been declining in recent days, prompting Putin to announce an easing of lockdown measures and the rescheduling of a May 9 Victory Day parade for June 24.</p>.<p>He said last week that Russia had passed the peak of the pandemic and told officials on Monday that it was time to plan again for the vote.</p>.<p>"As the situation with the pandemic improves we of course are returning to normal life, including the need to think about further work on amendments to the constitution," Putin said.</p>.<p>He added that officials needed to pay "special attention" to safety issues in organising the vote, saying public health needed to be the "first and foremost priority".</p>.<p>Critics have denounced the constitutional reforms as a power grab by Putin, 20 years after he first came to power.</p>.<p>Putin served the maximum two consecutive terms between 2000 and 2008 before a four-year stint as prime minister.</p>.<p>He returned to the Kremlin in 2012 for a newly expanded six-year mandate and was re-elected to a fourth Kremlin term in 2018.</p>