Vladimir Putin’s new choice for prime minister pledged to make changes in the cabinet just a day after the Russian leader surprised the political elite with a government shakeup and a constitutional overhaul that could allow him to extend his 20-year rule.

After the departure of his long-serving prime minister Wednesday, Russian authorities moved quickly Thursday to make Putin’s vision a reality, with a confirmation vote scheduled for later in the day, as well as a meeting of the group that will draft the constitutional changes.

“Now the main task before us is to do everything so that the proposals made in the president’s message to the Federal Assembly start working as fast as possible,” Andrey Turchak, deputy speaker of the upper house of parliament, told reporters.

Mikhail Mishustin, the low-profile former head of the Federal Tax Service, who Putin picked as his new premier was in parliament first thing Thursday and had won the unanimous backing of the ruling party before 10 a.m.

Surprise Shakeup

The proposed overhauls include granting more powers to the parliament and another body called the State Council, while the presidency would see its sweeping authority reduced somewhat. The changes could allow Putin, who faces a constitutional ban on running again when his current term ends in 2024, to retain power in another role.

Dmitry Medvedev, one Putin’s longest-serving lieutenants, tendered the resignation of his government after the speech, saying that the president needed a new team to implement his vision. Removing Medvedev, widely blamed for lackluster economic performance and stagnant living standards in recent years, could help the Kremlin boost public support as the end of Putin’s term nears.

Mishustin told legislators he’d make changes in the cabinet once confirmed, but didn’t outline details and said he’d focus on implementing Putin’s National Project infrastructure-spending program as a top priority, Tass reported.

Putin, meanwhile, is scheduled to chair a meeting of the new panel of dignitaries -- including legislators, officials, as well as prominent musicians and athletes -- set up to draft the constitutional changes, Tass said.