MOSCOW, March 5, 2004 - RIA Novosti. At its plenary session on Friday the State Duma endorsed Sergei Baburin as a vice speaker of the lower house of the Russian parliament instead of Dmitry Rogozin who held this post. This decision was supported by 329 deputies, with the required 226 votes to be valid.
Oleg Kovalev, head of the Duma Regulation Committee, suggested that this item should be included in the agenda of the plenary session. He elucidated the urgency of taking such a decision by the fact that Rogozin who was elected head of the Homeland faction in the Duma should be relieved of his duties as vice-speaker.
On Thursday 22 members of the Homeland faction out of 38 expressed themselves for the resignation of Sergei Glaziev from the post of the faction's leader. They suggested that Rogozin should replace Glazyev on this post, with Baburin becoming a vice-speaker.
The faction's proposals were submitted to the Duma Regulation Committee which confirmed the lawfulness of the Homeland deputies' wishes.
