Ramzan Kadyrov, who has led Russia’s Chechen Republic for 15 years, has claimed he deserves “an indefinite and long vacation,” after holding his position for too long.
Kadyrov shared a video address on his Telegram channel on Saturday, giving his thoughts on becoming the main “long-liver” among the heads of Russian regions. He quipped that probably the “time has come” for him to consider resigning, before he is “kicked out.” The Chechen leader said his youth is gone and "we will try to leave on time.”
“I myself noticed that I’ve been holding on for too long. I think that I fully deserved an indefinite and long vacation,” he commented in his video.
Kadyrov cited a Chechen proverb as an example. “We have a saying in the Caucasus, no matter how long-awaited a guest is, it’s nice when he leaves on time.”
Kadyrov made similar statements in November 2017 and February 2016, hinting at an impending departure.
Kadyrov took charge of Chechnya in 2007, and has remained at the helm ever since. At present in Russia there are no restrictions on the term a regional leader can serve.