Putin nixes talk of return to presidency

MOSCOW, Nov. 7 (UPI) -- Russian President Dmitri Medvedev's proposal to extend the president's term to six years has sparked speculation that Vladimir Putin will return, observers say.

The president now serves a four-year term.

Putin, the former-two term president, is now prime minister. A Putin spokesman dismissed eports about his possible return to the presidency.

Medvedev succeeded Putin in the presidency six months ago. His remark about the longer term came during his 85-minute State of the Nation address, The New York Times said.

Adding fire to the speculation, Vedomosti, a financial daily newspaper, quoted an unnamed source as saying that Putin intentionally placed Medvedev in the presidency "to carry out the necessary constitutional changes and unpopular reforms for Putin," who then would reurn to the Kremlin.

The newspaper theorized that Medvedev would resign and call for a presidential election in 2009. A spokesman for Putin called the report "nothing more than the speculation of a newspaper."

A bill likely will be submitted to the State Duma, the lower house of Parliament, within the next two weeks, to change the term length, Boris Gryzlov, the body's chairman, told the Interfax news agency.