World | Vladimir Putin Russia Paves Way for Return of Putin Parliament extends term of president; early elections could follow By Nick McMaster Posted Nov 21, 2008 12:04 PM CST Copied Vladimir Putin, left, and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, right, arrive for the United Russia Party Congress in Moscow, Thursday, Nov. 20, 2008. (AP Photo) See 1 more photo Russia's lower house of parliament approved a change to the constitution that extends the term of the president from four to six years, CNN reports. The move is widely seen as a bureaucratic maneuver that will lead to the return of Vladimir Putin as president. The upper house of parliament is expected to follow suit and make the measure law. Putin stepped down as president and became prime minister because the constitution prevented him from serving three straight terms. Dmitry Medvedev's term is scheduled to end in 2012, but this new amendment could set the stage for early elections. Putin would then be allowed to run again, with the possibility of gaining 12 years in office. Read These Next The Wall Street Journal is naming more names tied to Epstein. The White House and South Park are having a tiff. Trump isn't talking about a Ghislaine Maxwell pardon. The first video of an earthquake fault slip led to a major discovery. See 1 more photo Report an error