MOSCOW — Dmitry Medvedev, the hand-picked candidate to succeed President Vladimir Putin, called today for Putin become prime minister after the March 2 election.

Putin is prohibited by law for running for a third consecutive term, but clearly wants to retain a powerful role once he steps down. Medvedev's proposal would provide such a role, especially if the constitution were amended to increase the prime minister's powers — which could be done readily with the new parliament dominated by pro-Putin politicians.

Medvedev, 42, has spent most of his career as a loyal comrade of Putin, and his proposal for him to become prime minister almost certainly was made with prior consultation with the president.

Putin's support for Medvedev virtually ensures that he would win the election.

Medvedev also said that after the election, Russia must continue to pursue the policies driven by Putin in the past eight years.