RUSSIA:Vladimir Putin's term should be extended, one of the country's most senior parliamentarians suggested last night, rekindling speculation about the Russian president's plans.
The newly re-elected speaker of Russia's upper house of parliament, Sergei Mironov, said he wanted to change the country's constitution so that Mr Putin could avoid stepping down next March at the end of his second four-year term.
Mr Mironov wants to extend each period in office to at least five years and to remove the current two-term limit, which mirrors the US president's mandate. He also made it clear that his proposals were not just theoretical but intended to encourage Mr Putin to stay on.
"I propose that you consider the possibility of changing the appropriate articles of the constitution," he said, in a speech following his reappointment a speaker of the Federation Council.
Mr Mironov's comments are the latest in a stream of pro-Putin statements from supporters who have urged him to stay in office.
Mr Putin has consistently said he will step down, but has stated that he intends to retain an influential role in Russian public affairs.
Although Mr Putin is increasingly criticised abroad over human rights issues and the direction of his country's democracy, independent opinion polls from the Levada institute indicate that his successful restoration of order has won him the support of 80 per cent of Russian voters.
"The final decision, of course, will be up to Vladimir Putin; maybe he will listen to the voice of the deputies," Mr Mironov yesterday.
He argued that Russia had been very lucky to have Mr Putin as president, that he had restored stability in the past two or three years and therefore, had no better successor than himself.
However, the Kremlin yesterday insisted that Mr Putin was strongly opposed to any changes to the constitution allowing for a third term - a move that would crystallise growing Western disquiet.
"We proceed from the president's position that it is pointless to change the constitution to extend the presidential term or the number of terms," said a Kremlin spokesman.
"This stance of the president remains unchanged," he said.
Russia's constitution cannot be easily amended, although such a change could be brought about either by a two-thirds majority in both houses of parliament or by referendum.
Some of Mr Putin's domestic critics scoffed at Mr Mironov's suggestion last night, which they claimed was more an expression of fealty to the Kremlin than a serious political plan of action.
"They understand that Putin will not stay on, but they don't know what to do next," said the chess grandmaster Gary Kasparov, who has spoken out against the current regime.
He described the suggestion as "hysterical weeping" from politicians who fear for their own career should Putin step down.
Mr Mironov is the leader of the newly-formed "Fair Russia" party, now the country's second largest, which claims to be left of centre but pro-Putin.
The leader of the largest party, Boris Gryzlov, from "United Russia" also staunchly supports Mr Putin but has dismissed the idea of changing the constitution.
Unless both these parties jointly back a plan in parliament the constitution could not be changed without a national referendum.