Russia's lower house of parliament has approved Dmitry Medvedev as prime minister, after he was nominated by newly inaugurated President Vladimir Putin.

Lawmakers in the State Duma approved Mr. Medvedev with a vote of 299 to 144, sealing a job swap with Mr. Putin, who until his inauguration Monday had served as prime minister for four years.

The job swap has angered many Russians and sparked protests against the men's grip on power. Before the Duma began its debate, police broke up an all-night, sit-in protest in a park near the Kremlin and detained several people, including prominent opposition blogger Alexei Navalny and coordinator of the Left-Wing Front movement Sergei Udaltsov.

The two were charged for violations of regulations for organizing meetings, demonstrations and marches and released with orders to report to a justice court on May 11. They also face fines of about $30.

Mr. Putin was elected to a record third presidential term with 64 percent of the vote on March 4. He served as president from 2000 to 2008, but term limits prevented him from running for a third consecutive term. He then became prime minister under Mr. Medvedev.

A constitutional amendment has extended the president's time in office to two consecutive six-year terms, meaning Mr. Putin could stay in power until 2024 – an outlook many Russians find unsettling.