Russia tax chief Mishustin accepts Putin's offer to become prime minister

Russian Federal Tax Service head Mikhail Mishustin on Wednesday accepted President Vladimir Putin's offer to become country's prime minister after the government of Prime Minister Dmitri A Medvedev resigned.

Russian Federal Tax Service head Mikhail Mishustin on Wednesday accepted President Vladimir Putin's offer to become country's prime minister after the government of Prime Minister Dmitri A Medvedev resigned. "President Vladimir Putin held a working meeting with Mikhail Mishustin and invited him to take the prime minister's post. Having the consent, he submitted Mishustin's candidacy for the post of the prime minister to the State Duma for consideration," said the Kremlin in a statement.

Medvedev and his Cabinet resigned after Putin proposed sweeping constitutional changes that could extend his hold on power for many years. In a statement issued by the Russian news agency Tass, Medvedev linked the unexpected resignations to an overhaul put forward earlier on Wednesday by Putin, New York Times reported.

Putin, who under current law must step down in 2024, has proposed amending the Russian Constitution to expand the powers of Parliament and a body called the State Council, which currently carries little weight. (ANI)