The State Duma has unanimously approved......>

RUSSIA: The State Duma has unanimously approved President Vladimir Putin's

constitutional amendments that will transform the nature of the presidency and

allow Putin to retain the reins of power once his term ends in 2024.

- The amendments will allow members of the Duma to appoint the prime minister

and their Cabinet rather than the president. The State Council (an advisory body

to the president) will also receive greater powers going forward. 

- Putin is limited to two consecutive terms in office, but it is now likely that

he will take over the role of newly-empowered prime minister or head of the

State Council at the end of his presidency.

- The amendments do, however, see the president retain the power to dismiss the

PM and Cabinet, as well as being the head of the Russian armed forces and

security services. 

- They also impose a limit of two terms in total for the president, opposed to

the current system that allows for two consecutive terms.

- The rapidity of the changes - only announced on 15 Jan - has seen opposition

activists decry the amendments as a "constitutional coup".