The Russian parliament overwhelmingly backed President Vladimir Putin's surprise choice for prime minister after a major political overhaul that some say could set Mr Putin up as leader for life.
Critics have long accused Mr Putin, a former KGB officer, of plotting to stay on in some capacity after his term ends to continue to wield power over the world's largest nation, which is also one of its two leading nuclear powers.
"It's clear to everyone that everything is going exclusively towards setting Putin up to rule for life," he wrote on social media.
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