Some clarifications (from my understanding and I can be wrong):
- there are two separate initiatives, to allow unlimited number of term limits and to reset the number of terms served, with the later being justified by the change in the nature of the presidency.
- the first initiative got shut down completely in the speech by Putin while the second was sent to the judicial review and now awaits it.
- even if the amendments do pass judicial review, referendum and so on they would not make Putin president for life - he would still need to win in two 6 year election cycles and then he would no longer be elegible (this is where 2036 date comes from - 2024+6+6).
p.s. read the article
As to the surprise - we are living in lean-agile political climate, so rapid change is the norm. However it is too early to say where this initiative would end, it would appear that CC may be used as a tool to legitimise post transition system by not passing those amendments in the judicial review.