"The president should be a non-party figure," Putin told senior United Russia officials today, noting however that the Constitution did not forbid the head of state from holding party membership.
"But the president is, after all, a consolidating figure for all the political forces in the country, for all its citizens. In connection with this, I believe it is correct to give up the leadership of United Russia after my May 7 inauguration," 59-year-old Putin said.
Medvedev, 46, is widely expected to take up the post of prime minister after Putin's inauguration as president for a third term.
"As you know, I will nominate (Medvedev) as prime minister and I would consider it right that he head the party," RIA Novosti news agency quoted Putin as saying.