You're reading: Media: Regions Party to nominate Rybak for parliament speaker

 The Regions Party has decided to nominate Volodymyr Rybak as Ukrainian parliament speaker, ZN.UA has reported, citing a source in the party. 

Such a decision was taken at a closed meeting of the Regions Party faction in parliament, which is taking place in the Zoriany Cinema.

Rybak was born in Donetsk on Oct. 3, 1946. He studied at Donetsk State University majoring in economics and graduated in 1973. He is a doctor of economic sciences. In 2001, he defended a thesis entitled “The regulation of the processes of the market transformation of the system of local government revenues.”

He is a co-organizer and first chairman of the Regions Party (1997-2001).

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

Rybak is a people’s deputy of the Verkhovna Rada of the fourth, fifth and sixth convocations (since 2002). He also worked as Ukraine’s deputy prime minister and minister for construction, architecture, housing and utilities (from Aug. 4, 2006 to March 21, 2007), and as deputy prime minister (from March 21, 2007 to December 18, 2007).