MOSCOW, March 18. /TASS/. The nationwide voting on the constitutional amendments will be organized on April 22 only if the coronavirus situation does not worsen, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday at a meeting with chairperson of the Russian Central Election Commission (CEC) Ella Pamfilova, the video footage of which was broadcast by the Rossiya-24 television channel.
The president informed the CEC chairperson that he had signed a decree calling the nationwide voting on the amendments to the constitution on April 22. He noted that the under the law voting was to be called no earlier than a month after the decree was signed but could be organized later.
"Bearing in mind the serious epidemiological situation in the world that affects our country this or that way, although not so severely like in other countries, we will organize voting only if the situation allows to hold such events," Putin said, adding that the most important thing that matters is "people’s lives and health."
"We will reckon with the situation," he stressed.
He asked the CEC and its chairperson to continue preparation for the voting. "I hope you will use all available instruments to organize the nationwide voting at the highest level, strictly observing law and using modern technologies," Putin said.
The president also said he hoped people "will come to the polling stations to express their opinion about the amendments proposed.".