Russian President Dmitry Medvedev on Tuesday signed into law constitutional amendments extending presidential terms from four years to six, the Kremlin said, following a high-speed approval process. A Kremlin spokeswoman confirmed to AFP that Medvedev had approved the amendments, after they were announced in early November and pushed through the national parliament and all 83 regional assemblies in under two months.
Critics have speculated the changes could be designed to pave the way for a return to the presidency by powerful Prime Minister Vladimir Putin. Medvedev, who took over from Putin in May, has argued that the amendments will improve political stability. He has said the changes will not apply to his current term, which is due to last until 2012, and would only affect the winner of the next election.
The amendments also extend parliamentary terms from the current four years to five and include a provision for the government to report to parliament on a regular basis. The amendments need to be published in an official government newspaper to come into force.