Russia-Russian PM and government steps down as Putin proposes constitutional reforms

Prime Minister Dmitri A. Medvedev and his government submitted their resignation after  President Vladimir V. Putin sent the country’s political elite into a twist with recommendations for extensive constitutional reforms that could extend his hold on power for many years.

Putin proposed decreasing the powers of the presidency and beefing up those of the prime minister.

The climactic moves were broadly seen as preparing the ground for 2024, when Putin, now 67, is forced to leave the presidency after holding the Kremlin or the prime minister’s job continuously since 1999.