MOSCOW, April 24 (UPI) -- President-elect Vladimir Putin handed over leadership of the United Russia Party on Tuesday to President Dmitry Medvedev, who is to be his prime minister.
At a meeting with party officials, Putin said the president of the country should be a "non-party figure," ITAR-Tass reported. He said he is making the decision to leave the party voluntarily, since Russian law does not bar presidents from holding party membership.