Chairman of the State Duma

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The Chairman of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation (lang-rus Председатель Государственной Думы Федерального собрания Российской Федерации), also called Speaker (спикер), is the presiding officer of the lower house of the Russian parliament. His responsibilities include the overseeing the day-to-day business of the State Duma, presiding and maintaining order at the regular sessions of the parliament. The Speaker also chairs the Council of the Duma which includes representatives from all the parliamentary parties and determines the legislative agenda.

The Speaker of the Duma may intervene and express his views but is supposed to be unbiased in his activities at the regular sessions of the parliament.

Since January 1995, the speaker of the State Duma is also a member of the Security Council of the Russian Federation.

[edit] Speakers of the State Duma, 1994-

Ivan Rybkin (Agrarian)	January 14, 1994 – January 17, 1996
Gennady Seleznyov (Communist; independent 2002-2003)	January 17, 1996 – December 29, 2003
Boris Gryzlov (United Russia)	December 29, 2003 – present

[edit] The Fathers of the house who started the new legislatures

Traditionally when a new Russian parliament is formed the eldest deputy opens and leads the first session until a chairman or a speaker is elected. In the history of the post-Soviet Dumas these were