Duma
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| Duma | |
|---|---|
| Name | Duma |
| Native name | Госдума |
| Legislature | Federal Assembly of Russia |
| House type | Lower house |
| Established | 1906 |
| Preceded by | State Council |
| Members | 450 |
| Voting system | Parallel voting (225 single-member constituencies, 225 party lists) |
| Term length | 5 years |
| Meeting place | Moscow |
Duma is the principal lower chamber of the bicameral Federal Assembly in the Russian Federation, serving as a central legislative body since its inception in the early 20th century. It has evolved through imperial, revolutionary, Soviet, and post-Soviet periods, interacting with figures such as Nicholas II, Vladimir Lenin, Boris Yeltsin, and Vladimir Putin. The chamber's composition, electoral mechanisms, and legislative output have been shaped by events including the 1905 Russian Revolution, the February Revolution, the October Revolution, and the dissolution of the Soviet Union.
Etymology
The term originates from the Old Slavic root related to council and assembly, analogous to historical consultative bodies such as the Boyar Duma that advised rulers like Ivan IV and Peter the Great. Early modern equivalents appear alongside institutions such as the State Council (Russian Empire) and pre-revolutionary advisory organs connected to the reigns of monarchs including Alexander II and Alexander III.
Historical development
The institution was first created after the 1905 Russian Revolution as part of the October Manifesto issued by Nicholas II and functioned alongside imperial organs such as the State Duma (Russian Empire). It was curtailed after the February Revolution gave way to Bolshevik ascendancy under leaders like Vladimir Lenin during the October Revolution, after which soviets and the All-Russian Central Executive Committee supplanted parliamentary forms. A lower chamber comparable to the earlier body reemerged in the late 20th century amid reforms by Mikhail Gorbachev and the political transformations culminating in the 1993 constitutional arrangement under Boris Yeltsin. Post-1993 assemblies have operated alongside the Federation Council, adapting through constitutional amendments during the presidencies of Dmitry Medvedev and Vladimir Putin and in response to geopolitical crises such as the Chechen Wars and the Annexation of Crimea.
Structure and composition
The chamber comprises 450 deputies seated in plenary, elected through a mixed electoral system combining single-member districts and proportional representation, mirroring systems used in legislatures like the State Duma (1993–2007) transition arrangements. Leadership includes a presiding speaker and multiple committee chairs; notable officeholders have included figures who interacted with institutions like the Presidential Administration of Russia and parties such as United Russia, Communist Party of the Russian Federation, Liberal Democratic Party of Russia, and A Just Russia. Standing committees correspond to policy domains overseen by ministries such as the Ministry of Defence (Russia) and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Russia), while administrative interaction occurs with agencies like the Central Election Commission of Russia.
Powers and functions
The chamber exercises legislative initiative, budgetary review, and oversight functions, participating in processes alongside the Federation Council and the President of Russia in enacting federal statutes, approving appointments including the Prime Minister of Russia, and ratifying international agreements like treaties negotiated with entities similar to the European Union or BRICS. It plays roles in declarations tied to national security matters involving the Security Council of Russia and has authority regarding impeachment procedures that reference constitutional instruments stemming from the Constitution of the Russian Federation (1993). The chamber also interfaces with judicial organs such as the Supreme Court of Russia on matters of legislative compliance.
Elections and political parties
Electoral cycles occur every five years under laws administered by the Central Election Commission of Russia, employing a mixed system that has changed over time through legislation passed by the chamber itself and signed by presidents including Vladimir Putin and Dmitry Medvedev. Major party blocs represented have included United Russia, Communist Party of the Russian Federation, Liberal Democratic Party of Russia, and A Just Russia, with occasional representation by parties such as Yabloko and Civic Platform depending on electoral thresholds and political coalitions. Campaigns and candidate registrations have been influenced by court decisions from the Constitutional Court of the Russian Federation and regulatory actions tied to domestic events including the 2008 Russian presidential election and the 2011 Russian legislative election.
Notable sessions and legislation
Significant sittings have produced landmark laws and votes tied to economic reforms, security measures, and foreign-policy authorizations. Examples include post-Soviet privatization frameworks debated in tandem with policies of Yegor Gaidar and Anatoly Chubais, wartime and counterterrorism statutes following the Beslan school siege and the Second Chechen War, and more recent package laws affecting electoral procedures, media regulation, and national sovereignty asserted during the aftermath of the Annexation of Crimea and sanctions episodes involving European Union and United States responses. Key sessions have also confirmed cabinets under premiers like Viktor Chernomyrdin, Mikhail Kasyanov, and Dmitry Medvedev and ratified international accords such as arms-control and energy agreements negotiated with states like Turkey and China.