Russian Government
Resigns as Putin Proposes
Power Extension The extraordinary resignation of
the entire Russian government was
announced by Russian Prime Minister
Dmitry Medvedev on Wednesday. Medvedev will
also resign. The move comes in response to
proposed constitutional amendments
by Russian President Vladimir Putin. The amendments would diminish
the powers of the presidency
while strengthening the powers
of parliament and the prime minister. If Putin was to re-assume the role of prime
minister once his term as president has ended,
the amendments could help Putin to extend
his already decades-long rule over Russia. Putin employed a similar
strategy in 2008 by swapping
roles from prime minister to president. His presidential
term ends in 2024. In his televised statement,
Prime Minister Medvedev stated
the government was resigning to
make room for the sweeping changes. Putin has already nominated a
replacement for prime minister,
Federal Taxation Service
head Mikhail Mishustin. President Vladimir Putin, via CNN