The Kremlin confirmed Monday that President Vladimir Putin will step down and transfer power to a newly elected successor in May 2008, following a presidential vote scheduled for 2 March. Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the transition was certain, calling speculation about Putin's future unnecessary.
Putin had led the United Russia party's candidate list in Sunday's parliamentary elections. With nearly a third of ballots counted, the party held roughly 64 percent of the vote, a result the Kremlin described as a strong public mandate. Peskov said the outcome was critical for sustaining the policy agenda and reforms of the past eight years.
Sunday's vote was widely viewed as setting the stage for Putin to maintain influence in some capacity after leaving office. The Russian constitution bars him from seeking a third consecutive presidential term. No prominent candidate had yet emerged publicly to contest the March election.
Historical summary. TurkishPress restated this wire report, first published in December 2007, in its own words.