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Spokesman comments on Putin’s remark about civil servants who may 'look out for' successor

The president is pleased with the system of power that has been built, the Kremlin spokesman said
Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov  Mikhail Metzel/TASS
Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov
© Mikhail Metzel/TASS

MOSCOW, June 22. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin’s statement about the need for an amendment to the Constitution concerning the number of presidential terms does not mean that the system does not work in the context of power change, Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov told the media on Monday. 

Speaking in an interview for the film entitled Russia. Kremlin. Putin on the Rossiya-1 television news channel Putin said it might be possible to introduce an amendment to the Constitution concerning his opportunity to run for president again. Putin said he did not rule out such a possibility, but had not made up his mind yet. He urged all civil servants not to look for his potential successor already now, but to focus on their current job. Putin believes that if the corresponding amendment is not adopted now, "in about two years from now instead of normal work at all levels everybody will be busy looking out for likely successors."

"The president is pleased with the system of power that has been built. The system has proven viable and resistant to stress," Peskov said about Putin’s remark. In his opinion "the president offered an exhaustive explanation of the potential threat of the situation, it’s a description of our bureaucratic world."

"But this does not mean that the system does not work in the context of power change. Power does change, a permanent rotation is underway and it would be wrong not to see this," Peskov said.

About the motivation for civil servants’ productive work Peskov said that "the main motivation is not connected with the president’s replaceability or irreplaceability."

"The people who join the civil service are guided by far more lofty ideas, such as work for the nation and service to the Motherland," Peskov said. He described as absurd the question about those who may be looking out for alternatives.

"It should be understood that this concerns not certain individuals, but certain sentiment," he explained.