President Vladimir Putin will become Russia's prime minister a day after his successor's inauguration. Dmitry Medvedev, who is to be sworn in as president on May 7, has said he would give Mr Putin the job.Russia's parliament speaker, Boris Gryzlov, said the lower chamber - which is controlled by a Kremlin-backed political party - would vote to approve Putin's candidacy on May 8.
Under the constitution, the Cabinet steps down after a president's inauguration. A president then nominates his choice for prime minister and parliament's lower house approves it by simple majority. Other Cabinet members are named by the president by decree.
Mr Medvedev won more than 70% of the vote in the March 2 election to succeed president Putin - a victory all but guaranteed by Putin's endorsement and tight Kremlin controls on the nation's politics and the media.
Many observers expect Mr Putin to continue calling the shots, but some say that an unprecedented tandem rule may lead to conflicts later when Mr Medvedev grows more confident. He has made a series of liberal statements, prompting expectations that he may ease some of the Kremlin's most repressive policies. But he has also reaffirmed his intention to continue with Mr Putin's plans.
Mr Putin's quick approval as prime minister would allow him to watch the May 9 Victory Day parade on Red Square in his new capacity. For the first time since the Soviet collapse, the parade will feature ballistic missiles, tanks, jets and other weapons in what will be a symbolic show of Russia's resurgent military might.