In Sunday's election for the State Duma, the lower house of the Russian parliament, President Vladimir Putin's party was set to gain more than two thirds of the chamber's 450 seats, enough to revise the Constitution. With Mr. Putin running as the lead candidate of United Russia, the election result represents a vote of confidence for the president, who has been in office for almost eight years.
The Constitution prohibits him from running for a third consecutive term in a March 2, 2008, presidential election and United Russia leader Boris Gryzlov said that the party has no plans to change the Constitution.
But it is clear that Mr. Putin wants to retain a high level of political influence beyond next year's presidential election. Politicians and officials of Mr. Putin's party reportedly have used various means, including pressure, to get people to vote for the party. The election results have made it possible for Mr. Putin to keep his hands in politics, although at this point no one knows what his next move will be. From what Mr. Gryzlov has said, it appears that Mr. Putin wants to be a "national leader" of sorts