The New Nation - Internet Edition

AFP, Moscow

Russian lawmakers gave final approval Friday to a bill extending presidential terms, after a speech on the economy by Prime Minister Vladimir Putin revived speculation over his political ambitions.

The bill, which sailed through the State Duma, the lower house of parliament, would extend presidential terms from four to six years and would be the first change to Russia's post-Soviet constitution adopted in 1993. The reform was proposed little more than two weeks ago by President Dmitry Medvedev, who said it would strengthen political stability, and has since been rushed through parliament amid a spiralling economic crisis. Friday's vote was the third and final reading of the bill in the Duma, where 392 deputies voted in favour and only 57 voted against. The body is dominated by the pro-Kremlin United Russia party. Only members of the opposition Communist Party, which has a minority in the parliament, voted against the changes on Friday. Communists have previously complained that the changes are part of an "authoritarian" trend in Russia.

"The immovability of the powers-that-be is building up the problems," Nikolai Kolomeitsev, a member of parliament from the Communist Party, told AFP, referring to Russia's mounting financial and economic difficulties.

The legislation now needs to be approved by the upper house, where it is expected to pass easily, and by two-thirds of regional legislatures in a process that one of the bill's proponents estimated would take around a month.