THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Vladimir Putin ally Valentina Matviyenko has become the first woman speaker of Russia's upper house of parliament, making her the most powerful woman in the country.
Valentina Matviyenko, the governor of St. Petersburg from 2003 until earlier this year, got the job after 140 Russian senators in the 166-member Federation Council gave her their vote on Wednesday.
One senator abstained and nobody voted against her nomination.
The job is nominally the third most powerful in the Russian political system after that of president and prime minister. In reality, it has been more of a symbolic post in the past.
The 62-year old ally of Mr Putin, the prime minister, is known for her no-nonsense management style, her power dressing, and her loyalty to the Kremlin.
Though the married mother of one said she wanted to reform the upper house of parliament to rid it of its image as "a (legislative) rubber stamp", she made it clear she would not be rocking the boat. Continue reading and comment » | Andrew Osborn, Moscow | Wednesday, September 21, 2011
