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Russian senators approve longer presidency
(Agencies)
Updated: 2008-12-23 07:47

Russia's upper house of parliament voted overwhelmingly yesterday to give a final nod to a constitutional amendment extending the presidential term from four to six years.

All 142 Federation Council senators present voted to endorse a decision by Russia's regional assemblies to support a longer presidency, the last legislative step in the approval process.

President Dmitry Medvedev proposed the reform in his annual address last month. Officials justified the change, which will take effect from the next presidential election in 2012, on the grounds of Russia's size and complexity.

Last month the State Duma (lower house) and the Federation Council both passed the amendment, which also extends the term of the State Duma from four to five years.

The amendment will become law once Medvedev has signed it.

Critics of the Kremlin say the change could be part of a plan for ex-president Vladimir Putin, now Medvedev's powerful prime minister, to return to his old job, although officials deny this.

Earlier this month Putin hinted that he may return to the top Kremlin job, but not before his close ally Medvedev's term expires in 2012.

Arms to Iran 'defensive'

In another report, Russia's state arms export agency said yesterday that it is supplying Iran with defensive weapons, including surface-to-air missiles, but did not say whether they include the sophisticated long-range S-300 missiles.

Iranian media reported on Sunday that Russia had begun supplying the S-300s - an action that Israel and the United States have aggressively opposed.

Rosoboronexport said in a statement that "only weapons of a defensive nature are being supplied to Iran, including anti-aircraft weaponry." It added that, previously, Tor-M1 air-defense systems were supplied to Iran.

"Russia is developing military-technical cooperation with Iran in strict compliance with its international commitments stemming from nonproliferation agreements. This cooperation cannot be a source of concern for third countries," the statement said.

An official who answered the phone at Rosoboronexport headquarters said he could not answer whether Moscow had supplied S-300 missiles to Teheran.