The principal ministers of the Russian government, from Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev on down, resigned Wednesday in a move designed to ease a constitutional overhaul recently proposed by President Vladimir Putin. The president accepted Medvedev’s resignation and said he would appoint his longtime loyalist to the Russian Security Council.

…”After those amendments are adopted — and it was said that this is likely to be done following discussion — there will be significant changes not only to a variety of constitution articles, but to the balance of power, namely to the executive, legislative and judicial branches of power,” Medvedev explained in the meeting, Tass reports.

The package includes proposals to strengthen the country’s State Council and boost lawmakers’ power over nominations for prime minister and other major government positions. In his address, Putin said the moves are meant to buttress Russia’s democratic processes — though many observers find it more likely that they have to do with Putin’s as-yet-unclear plans to maintain influence after leaving the presidency.

Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev Resigns As Vladimir Putin Seeks Change : NPR

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