Putin still not running again

MOSCOW, March 30 (UPI) -- Russian President Vladimir Putin apparently has no intention of running for a third presidential term, the Kremlin press service said Friday.

"The Russian president has repeatedly commented on the issue, and his position remains unchanged," the presidential press service said, RIA Novosti reported.

Putin is constitutionally limited to two terms as president but there were suggestions Russia may alter its charter to give Putin the opportunity to remain in the job he's held since May 7, 2000. His current term ends in 2008.

The statement regarding Putin's plans came in response to a proposal from Sergei Mironov, speaker of the Russian parliament's upper house, to extend the presidential term, RIA Novosti said.

Boris Gryzlov, the speaker of Russia's lower house, disagreed Friday with Mironov's proposal

"I do not support statements about amending the Constitution," Gryzlov told RIA Novosti.