In his November 5 state of the nation address to the Federal Assembly, Medvedev proposed increasing the presidential term to six years from four, and the State Duma, Russia's lower house, term to five years from four. (Medvedev's state of the nation address- Image gallery)
"I am convinced that our progress toward freedom and democracy will be successful and unwavering only if the prestige of the president and the State Duma is sufficiently high and based on the practical results of their activities, and if they have enough time to put their pledges into practice," Medvedev said.
Larisa Brycheva, a presidential aide, earlier said constitutional amendments to extend the term of office of the Russian president would not require a national referendum. Russian opposition groups have condemned the move.
The Russian Vedomosti paper said on Thursday, citing an unidentified Kremlin official, that Medvedev could resign next year, paving the way for the return of his predecessor and current Prime Minister Vladimir Putin.
The source told the paper that Medvedev may resign citing changes to the Constitution, leading to presidential elections being held next year. Vedomosti said Putin could then rule for two six-year terms, from 2009 to 2021.
