Moscow, Nov. 18 (Reuters): Russian President Vladimir Putin said today he had no plans to grab more power or change the constitution when reforming Russia's government structure, dismissing fears in the West he is watering down democracy.

'These proposals are totally unconnected with any attempt by the head of state to obtain some kind of additional ... power over the regional authorities,' he said in a rare television interview. The reform package includes replacing elected governors with Kremlin nominees and scrapping direct elections to parliament in favour of party lists.

It drew sharp criticism from Washington and Brussels, which worried about a reversal in Russia's democratic development, and from political commentators, who speculated Putin was angling to keep power after his second and final term ends in 2008.