Ruling party to nominate Rybak as speaker

Volodymyr Rybak, 66, the first deputy chair of the ruling Party of Regions, will be nominated by the expected majority to serve as the next parliament’s speaker, as determined by a conference held of the party’s elected MPs held on Dec. 11. They also supported Mykola Azarov to return as prime minister and Oleksandr Yefremov to return as the faction chair. 

Zenon Zawada: Though Rybak’s name wasn’t among the candidates being speculated, his nomination comes as little surprise. He’s as much an insider as one can get, having been with the Party of Regions since its very inception. A lifelong Donetsk resident who built his career in Donbas politics, Rybak will be a loyal defender of the interests of the party and the president. His election is likely, with the Party of Regions reportedly having secured the support of the Communists in exchange for the post of first deputy speaker, to be assumed by Ihor Kaletnik, a Communist and former State Customs Service chair.