Russian president Dmitry Medvedev proposed extending the presidential term by two years yesterday, a step analysts said could prepare the ground for Vladimir Putin to return to the Kremlin.
Mr Medvedev, who took over from Mr Putin as head of state in May, said the presidential term should go up from four to six years to allow more time to deal with massive challenges facing Russia and help the country move towards a stable democracy.
He also proposed increasing the powers of parliament over the executive and said the government would have to explain its policies every year to parliament.
" an increase of the constitutional terms of the president and State Duma to six years and five years respectively," Mr Medvedev said in his first state-of-the-nation speech in the Kremlin.
The proposals do not apply to the present terms of the president and the State Duma, a senior Kremlin official was quoted as saying by Russian news agencies.
Analysts said the decision would give future heads of state - including possibly former president Mr Putin - the chance to rule for two six-year terms. Mr Putin endorsed Mr Medvedev (43) when he stepped down in May in line with constitutional term limits.
"In Russia, listen less to the words and look more at the reality," said Olga Kryshtankovskya, a Russian political analyst who monitors the political elite.
"This is being prepared so that Putin can return for 12 years, so two six-year terms. The next presidential election is in 2012 so we could start speaking about the project Putin-2024."
Mr Medvedev, whom Mr Putin plucked from relative obscurity in 1999 to join the government, appointed the former KGB spy as his prime minister.
Russia's constitution limits presidents to serving two consecutive terms lasting four years each.