Medvedev wants terms increased

2008-11-11 19:23

Moscow - Russian President Dmitry Medvedev on Tuesday sent a draft law on extending the presidential term from four to six years to parliament's lower house, the Kremlin said.

The legislation "has been sent to the Duma," a Kremlin spokesperson said.

A Kremlin statement said he had also submitted a draft law to extend the terms of lawmakers in the Duma from four to five years.

The proposals have raised speculation over the intentions of Medvedev's predecessor, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, whose United Russia party dominates parliament.

Medvedev announced his intention to increase the terms last week when he made his first state-of-the-nation speech since being elected in March.

An aide to Medvedev, Larisa Brychyova, has said the mandate extension will not apply to the president's current term, which is set to run out in 2012, Russian news agencies have reported.

Putin served two terms as president before Medvedev and is eligible to run again in the future because a constitutional ban on holding the post more than twice in a row does not prevent a return to office later.

Last week, the Vedomosti daily cited a source close to the presidential administration as saying that Medvedev's proposal would lead to elections and was part of a broader plan for Putin's comeback.

- AFP