SOCHI, October 24. /TASS/: The end of Vladimir Putin’s presidential term is still far down the road, so no one in the Kremlin is mulling over his possible successor, Russian Presidential Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.
"The presidential election is still far away. We are at the initial stage of the president’s tenure," he noted. "That’s why no one is thinking about that [a potential successor]. At present, everyone is working diligently."
The Kremlin spokesman thus commented on remarks by Russian TV presenter Dmitry Kiselev who asserted that Putin was thinking about grooming a potential successor.
On the issue of the head of state’s tenure, Putin is guided by the Russian constitution and not by the question of age, Peskov told reporters when asked whether Putin had an ‘age limit’ to serve as president.
"The president’s work is regulated by the Russian constitution," the Kremlin spokesman specified. "His [Putin’s] vision is to follow the constitution."
Peskov also emphasized that even though officials have to retire by 70, their tenures can be prolonged on an individual basis for periods of up to one year.
The Russian constitution does not set out a mandatory age-limit to serve as president, while stating that a person should be older than 35. It also places a restriction on serving as Russian president for more than two terms in a row.
Putin was re-elected president in 2018. His presidential term will expire in 2024.
