The presidency in its present form was created in December 1993, when Boris Yeltsin's draft constitution won endorsement in a national referendum. Yeltsin had won the first Russian presidential elections, in what was then the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic (RSFSR), one of the Soviet Union’s fifteen republics. He was succeeded by Vladimir Putin, who won his first term as president on the first ballot on March 26 2000, receiving 53 percent of all votes cast and was re-elected to a second term on March 14, 2004 with 71 percent of the vote.

The position of president is defined in Chapter 4 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation. According to the constitution, the president of the Russian Federation is the head of state. He is the guarantor of the constitution, civil and human rights and freedoms. The president is also responsible for protecting Russia's sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity, and for coordinating the functions of bodies of state power in accordance with the order envisaged by the Constitution.

The president is elected for a term of four years by the citizens of the Russian Federation on the basis of a general, equal and direct vote by secret ballot. Any citizen of the Russian Federation 35 years of age or older who has resided in the Russian Federation on a permanent basis for not less than 10 years may be elected president of the Russian Federation.

On assuming office the President of the Russian Federation shall take the following oath of loyalty to the people: "I swear that in exercising the powers of the president of the Russian Federation I shall respect and protect human and civil rights and freedoms, observe and protect the constitution of the Russian Federation, protect the sovereignty and independence, security and integrity of the state, and faithfully serve the people.”

The president exercises his authority as the guarantor of civil and human rights and liberties through his right to submit draft legislation. In addition, he is able to issue decrees protecting the legal rights of both individuals and specific groups and ensuring all individual, political, social and economic rights.

As the nation’s commander-in-chief (verkhovny glavnokomanduyushchy), the president is responsible for approving Russia’s defense policy and military doctrine, the organization of the armed forces, civil defense plans and other issues in the sphere of military organization.

The president is also responsible for the conduct of negotiations and signing of international treaties to ensure Russia’s sovereignty.

The president is responsible for the formation and organization of national security agencies subordinate to him. In the event of an act of aggression against the Russian Federation or an immediate threat thereof, the president has the right to introduce total or partial mobilization, martial law and other statutory wartime measures. The constitution requires that he immediately inform the Federal Council and State Duma of the introduction of such measures.

The president determines Russia’s position in international affairs. The president represents the Russian Federation in international relations, conducts negotiations and signs international treaties and agreements.

The president has the authority to determine the composition of the government and the procedures adhered to in its work. As the head of state, the commander-in-chief of the armed forces and the chairman of the Security Council, the president has the right to preside over meetings of the government and to give orders to the government and to federal bodies of executive power responsible for defense, security, domestic and foreign policy, emergency situations and disaster relief issues. The president is also responsible for presenting the annual budget address to the government.

The president’s fundamental positions on domestic policy issues are expressed in written memoranda regarding draft federal constitutional legislation and draft federal legislation, as well as memoranda explaining the reasons for the rejections of draft federal legislation. The president may veto legislation after it has been passed by the federal legislature. To override a presidential veto, both chambers of the Russian legislature must reconsider the legislation and approve it by a majority specified by law.

The president is also responsible for shaping the basic guidelines for domestic policy by issuing legal regulations and through organizational and regulatory activity, such as the issuing of decrees and executive orders. The president’s position on basic state policy guidelines is laid out in a key document, the annual address to the Federal Assembly (similar to the State of the Union address in the United States).

The status of head of state predetermines the scope of the president’s authority in ensuring a uniform and stable system of state power and its effective function on the basis of its separation into three independent branches: legislative, executive and judicial. The coordinating role of the president is realized both in the system of checks and balances – which ensure a balance of power among federal governmental bodies – and in the relationship between federal governmental bodies of the Russian Federation and those of its constituent territories. Officially distanced by the constitution from all branches of power, the president drafts and issues legal regulations, discharges leadership duties, settles disputes and ensures that the constitution is observed. The procedures for exercising this authority are specified in federal constitutional laws and federal laws.

The president’s constitutional powers to ensure the concerted functioning and interaction of all governmental bodies involve nominating candidates for official state positions, most of whom must ultimately be confirmed by parliamentary vote.

The president of the Russian Federation shall:
a) Appoint the chairman of the Government of the Russian Federation subject to confirmation by the State Duma, the lower chamber of the Federal Assembly (parliament);
b) Decide on the dismissal or acceptance of the resignation of the Government of the Russian Federation;
c) Nominate and submit to the State Duma for confirmation a candidate for the office of Chairman of the Central Bank of the Russian Federation, as well as submit proposal for ratification by the State Duma in the event that he or she wishes to relieve the Chairman of the Central Bank of his or her duties;
d) Appoint and dismiss deputy chairmen of the Government of the Russian Federation and federal ministers as proposed by the prime minister of the Government of the Russian Federation;
e) Submit to the Federation Council for confirmation candidates for the the office of judges of the Constitutional Court of the Russian Federation, the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation and the Supreme Arbitration Court of the Russian Federation as well as the candidate for prosecutor general of the Russian Federation; submit to the Federation Council proposals for the dismissal of the prosecutor general of the Russian Federation; appoint judges to other federal court positions.
f) Form and head the Security Council of the Russian Federation as determined by federal law;
g) Define the military doctrine of the Russian Federation;
h) Form the Presidential Administration;
i) Appoint and dismiss the regional envoys of the president of the Russian Federation;
j) Appoint and dismiss the Supreme Command of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation;
k) Appoint and recall, after consultations with the respective committees or commissions of the Federal Assembly, diplomatic representatives of the Russian Federation to foreign states and international organizations.

Powers of the President in the sphere of legal activities and in his interaction with the parliament:

The president of the Russian Federation shall:
a) Call elections to the chambers of the State Duma in accordance with the Constitution of the Russian Federation and federal law;
b) Dissolve the State Duma in certain cases and using procedures, both as stipulated by the Constitution of the Russian Federation;
c) Call referendums according to procedures established by federal constitutional law;
d) Introduce draft lagislation in the State Duma;
e) Sign and publish federal laws;
f) Present annual messages to the Federal Assembly on the situation in the country and on the basic directions of the internal and external policies of the state.

Powers of the President of the Russian Federation in Relation to Questions of Citizenship:

The president resolves:
a) The issue of citizenship of the Russian Federation to foreign citizens, citizens of the former USSR and persons without citizenship;
b) Issues of the restoration of citizenship;
c) Issues concerning the renunciation of citizenship of the Russian Federation;
d) Issues of a dual citizenship of citizens of the Russian Federation;
e) Issues of granting political asylum, which is the sovereign right of the state – and a subject of international law. In the Russian Federation, only the president has the right to grant a political asylum.

last updated April 13, 2004