Vladimir Putin approves new head of United Russia’s faction in State Duma

MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Secretary of the United Russia Party General Council Sergei Neverov was elected the new head of the ruling party’s faction in the State Duma, the lower house of Russia’s parliament, the faction decided at a meeting Monday.

Neverov’s candidacy was submitted to United Russia for consideration by the party leader, Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev. State Duma speaker Vyacheslav Volodin said the candidacy was approved by Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Following his election, Neverov said that he would tender his resignation as the party’s general council secretary to the party’s leader, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev.

“Working as head of the faction would require continuing efforts that will consume all my time. In this regard, my dear colleagues, I would like to say that doing any other job would be impossible. And I would like to say that I will thereby tender my resignation as the secretary of the United Russia’s general council to the party’s chairman, Dmitry Medvedev, today,”

Neverov told a meeting of the party’s faction.

The post of the leader of the State Duma’s United Russia faction became vacant when Vladimir Vasilyev, who held the post, was appointed acting head of the Russian North Caucasus republic of Dagestan.