Party of Regions gets a speaker seat in parliament

Volodymyr
Rybak, a 66-year old lawmaker, who ran as number 10 on the Party of Regions’
list, received 250 votes in his support out of 444 currently registered as
deputies of the new convocation. 

Rybak’s  candidacy was supported by 207 out of 210 Mps
of the Party of regions, as well  as  32 out of 33 MPs from the Communist Party and
11 independents who came to parliament through the majority race.

Almost of
the 450-seat legislature was elected though the majority race, but five seats
still remain vacant in the constituencies where re-elections are to be
scheduled.

Not a
single deputy from three oppositional factions, United Opposition
Batkivshchyna, Vitali Klitschko’s UDAR and Svoboda voted for Rybak.

Rybak is a
native of Donetsk. He graduated from the Donetsk State University in 1973. He
is a doctor of economic sciences and a co-organizer and first chairman of the
Regions Party,. He served in this capacitybetween
1997-2001.

He served
as chairman of the city council, executive committee and mayor of Donetsk from
1993 to 2002.

Rybak has
been people’s deputy of the Verkhovna Rada since 2002. He also worked as Ukraine’s
deputy prime minister and minister for construction, architecture, housing and
utilities.