Acting Russian President Mr Vladimir Putin is in favour of extending the Russian presidential term to seven years from the current four, Interfax reported yesterday.
"After the elections, we can put such a question before the country," the agency quoted Mr Putin as saying.
Mr Putin said that the extension may come into effect after the presidential election in 2004.
"We can decide this in one form or another, but this can only come into effect for that person, who is elected president in 2004," Mr Putin said.
Russia's presidential elections are to be held on March 26th, and Mr Putin is the overwhelmingly favourite to win.
Meanwhile, the Council of Europe's human rights commissioner travelled to Chechnya yesterday as Russian troops battled to crush the last main stronghold of separatist fighters in the region's southern mountains.
Mr Alvaro Gil-Robles, a Spanish diplomat, was hoping to visit Chechnya's devastated capital Grozny, abandoned by the rebels earlier this month after weeks of heavy Russian bombardment.
His visit comes amid strong Western pressure on Russia to allow independent investigators into Chechnya to investigate allegations of human rights abuses by its troops.
Mr Putin intervened directly for the first time in the case of the detained war reporter, Andrei Babitsky, saying he should be freed from police custody.
Russian news agencies said it was not certain that Mr GilRobles would visit a controversial detention centre at Chernokozovo, focus of allegations by Chechen refugees of systematic torture, rape and executions by Russian troops.
A group of Western reporters visited the camp, much of it freshly painted, about 50 km (30 miles) north of Grozny, and saw no evidence of ill-treatment of prisoners. Russia denies the allegations of abuse but has appointed its own special commissioner to catalogue complaints.
Russia's treatment of Babitsky, led to protests after Moscow said it had handed the reporter over to the rebels in exchange for captive Russian soldiers.
Babitsky disappeared for a month after the exchange but resurfaced on Friday in Makachkala, the capital of Dagestan, east of Chechnya. He was arrested by police for allegedly holding a false passport.
Mr Putin was quoted by Russian news agencies as saying he was against holding Babitsky in jail and had asked the Interior Minister, Mr Vladimir Rushailo, to investigate whether this was necessary.
"I expressed the opinion that holding Babitsky in custody is inappropriate and asked that this question be looked at with greater attention," Mr Putin said.
Babitsky's reports for the USfunded Radio Liberty from behind the Chechen rebel lines infuriated Moscow, especially his reports on alleged killings of civilians by Russian soldiers.