Russia’s eighth State Duma delegates elected Vyacheslav Volodin as chairman at their first session on Tuesday. His nomination was supported by 360 out of 450 delegates. His contender Dmitry Novikov from the Communist Party garnered 61 votes.
Volodin was nominated by the United Russia party. He served as chairman in the seventh State Duma as well.
The vote was open. Other factions did not nominate candidates for this post.
As the leader of United Russia delegates in the State Duma Vladimir Vasilyev said, the faction had a unified position on the nomination. According to the leaders of all seventh State Duma factions, he professionally fulfilled the obligations of this post.
Earlier in September, during a meeting with the leadership of parties that made it to the State Duma, Russian President Vladimir Putin supported the nomination of Volodin, noting that he was "quite deserving of also chairing the next one, the eighth State Duma".
