Putin proposes Volodin as new State Duma's Speaker

Russian President Vladimir Putin proposed the candidacy of his aide Vyacheslav Volodin as the next State Duma speaker. 

Volodin replaces Sergei Naryshkin, whom Putin named the new chief of Russia's Foreign Intelligence Service.

"In this connection, the question of the election of the new chairman of the State Duma is raised. This, of course, is the issue for lawmakers alone. But the Prime Minister and I will ask United Russia to support the candidacy of Vyacheslav Volodin," Putin said. 

"In my opinion, he knows what parliamentary work is, he was a lawmaker for a long time and he was in direct contact with lawmakers, leaders of factions and parties when he was in the presidential administration, this did not fall within the scope of his professional duties," Sputnik cited Putin as saying.

Vyacheslav Volodin was born on February 4, 1964 in Alekseevka, Khvalynsky District, Saratov Oblast. In 1986 Volodin was graduated in mechanical engineering from the Faculty of organization and technology of the Saratov Institute of Mechanization of Agriculture, 1995 followed by a degree in law from the Russian State Service Academy under the President of the Russian Federation and a PhD law from the Interior Ministry's St. Petersburg Institute in 1996.

In 1996 he was appointed to the Vice Governor of the Saratov region. He has been deputy in the State Duma from 1999 until 2010. He was the Deputy Chairman of the Government of the Russian Federation from 2010 to 2012. Since December 2011 Volodin is the first deputy Chief of Staff of the Presidential Administration of Russia.