There will be far-reaching personnel changes in the Russian government after the March 4 presidential election, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said on Monday, according to RIA Novosti.

“This does not mean that everyone will have to be fired. Of course, there should be rotation, serious rotation, and there will be rotation,” Putin said ahead of his bid to win a third presidential term.

However, he added, the presidential election will have to take place first.

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Putin is seeking to return to the Kremlin after being barred by the constitution from standing for a third consecutive term in 2008. State-run pollster VTsIOM indicated last week that his support among voters had risen from 45 percent earlier this month to 52 percent - just enough to give him victory in the first round of the elections.