From The Moscow Times:
The Kremlin wants to rush legislation to extend the presidential term through the State Duma on Friday to make sure the Constitution is changed before the financial turmoil snowballs into a social and political crisis. The effort is a clear signal that Vladimir Putin's team does not intend to relinquish its eight-year grip on power anytime soon.
Medvedev's sudden announcement last week that he wanted to extend the presidential term to six years from the current four shouldn't have surprised anyone. In his final years as president, Putin dropped several hints that he backed a longer term because "a four-year presidency is insufficient for a country as large as Russia." At the same time, however, Putin repeatedly promised not to touch the Constitution.
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The Kremlin wants to rush legislation to extend the presidential term through the State Duma on Friday to make sure the Constitution is changed before the financial turmoil snowballs into a social and political crisis. The effort is a clear signal that Vladimir Putin's team does not intend to relinquish its eight-year grip on power anytime soon.
Medvedev's sudden announcement last week that he wanted to extend the presidential term to six years from the current four shouldn't have surprised anyone. In his final years as president, Putin dropped several hints that he backed a longer term because "a four-year presidency is insufficient for a country as large as Russia." At the same time, however, Putin repeatedly promised not to touch the Constitution.
Read more ....