Putin 3rd term "impossible"-Russian election chief

MOSCOW, Sep 8 (Reuters) Russia's election chief said today it was ''practically impossible'' to abolish the two-term limit for presidents -- an option that could let President Vladimir Putin stay on after 2008.

Putin insists he will step down when his second term ends in two years but some pro-Putin enthusiasts are trying to force a referendum on the issue. Voters would be asked to approve a change to the constitution removing the two-term limit.

Alexander Veshnyakov, Chairman of the Central Election Commission, appeared to slap that initiative down, saying a referendum could not be organised in the short time available.

The law forbids holding a referendum in the 12 months before an election. A parliamentary election is scheduled for next year, leaving until Dec. 3 this year to stage a referendum.

''It is practically impossible to hold the referendum by that date without breaking existing federal laws,'' Interfax news agency quoted Veshnyakov as saying.

''If you add up all preliminary stages, there is simply not enough time,'' he said. Veshnyakov is not appointed by the Kremlin but his views tend to be in line with Kremlin thinking.

Because the Kremlin has so much power, the issue of who will be president after 2008 has become the hottest political topic in Russia and a matter of concern for foreign investors.

Putin is the country's most popular politician and widely credited at home with reviving the nation's economic stability and national pride.

Most analysts believe he will step down when his second term ends and endorse a preferred successor from inside his team.

Putin's popularity and the Kremlin's tight grip on national television should ensure that candidate wins the election.

Some observers, however, believe a third Putin term remains an option, despite the president's emphatic denials. They say a part of his entourage is pressing him to stay because they fear a successor would upset the balance of power.

The push for a referendum is coming from North Ossetia, a province in the Caucasus mountains that was scene of last year's Beslan school massacre.

There, a group called ''Unity and Stability'' says it is nearly ready to launch a nationwide campaign to collect the signatures needed to force a referendum.

The group says it has nothing to do with the Kremlin and Putin has distanced himself from such initiatives.

REUTERS MS KP1822