Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday postponed a nationwide vote on constitutional changes that would allow him to extend his rule, saying the health and safety of citizens was his top priority as the global coronavirus pandemic worsens. A TV set broadcasting Russian President Vladimir Putin’s address to the nation on measures to combat the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is seen through the window of a cafe in Omsk, Russia March 25, 2020. REUTERS/Alexey Malgavko The changes, already approved by parliament and Russia’s Constitutional Court, would reset Putin’s presidential term tally to zero, allowing him to serve two more back-to-back six year terms until 2036. His postponement followed calls from critics to delay the vote, which had been planned for April 22. One opposition activist, Andrei Pivovarov, likened the idea to proceed amid coronavirus to “holding a party during the plague”. “We see how severely […]