Two-thirds of Russians hope that Vladimir Putin will retain the presidency beyond the end of his third term in 2018, according to a poll conducted by the Kremlin-friendly Public Opinion Foundation.
The poll results, published Wednesday, revealed that a mere 14 percent of the population would prefer that Putin to retire in 2018, while a whopping 66 percent want him to continue leading the country for a fourth term.
Putin was reelected to the presidency in March 2012 after serving for four years as prime minister. Whereas his first two terms ran for four years each, a change to the relevant legislation in the interim period extended his third presidential term to six years.
Assuming that the presidential term limits remain unchanged, reelection for a fourth term would place Putin at the helm of the country until 2024.
In September 2012, a few months into his third term, only 29 percent of respondents wished Putin would stay on for a fourth term, according to the Public Opinion Foundation.
The poll also found that 74 percent of Russians are currently satisfied with the work Putin is doing in office, a figure that has soared 24 percent since April 2013.
More than half of Russians think Putin is now coping better with his presidential duties than he did during his first two terms, the poll revealed.
Respondents said they had strongly favored Putin's role in the annexation of Crimea, Russia's policy towards Ukraine, the Sochi Winter Olympics and Russia's strengthened position on the international stage.
The poll results were calculated based on the opinions of a representative sample of 1,500 adults across 43 Russian regions surveyed in mid-June.
Putin's approval rating reached record highs in the aftermath of Russia's annexation of Crimea. A survey conducted by the Levada Center, an independent research organization, found in May that Putin's approval ratings had hit 83 percent.
See also:
Lithuanian President Likens Putin to Stalin and Hitler
Contact the author at g.tetraultfarber@imedia.ru
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