Russian prime minister nominates Chechen ruler and Putin's right-hand man to head party ticket in parliamentary vote

The chairman of the political party United Russia and Russia's prime minister, Dmitry Medvedev, has nominated acting Chechen ruler Ramzan Kadyrov and Vyacheslav Volodin to serve in the State Duma. Volodin currently works as the first deputy head of Vladimir Putin's presidential administration. The proposal must be approved at United Russia's party congress later today.

Joining Volodin on United Russia's proposed candidates list for this September's parliamentary elections are Crimean Attorney General Natalia Poklonskaya, director Stanislav Govorukhin, the Chairman of Crimea's Council of Ministers Sergei Aksyonov, and several governors.

Being nominated for to serve in the State Duma and even running on a political party's ticket does not obligate individuals to then work as members of parliament, if they win. If a person is elected, they can always renounce their mandate. This has become a common practice in Russia, where famous people run on party tickets in Duma elections, in order to draw more votes, and then they refuse their seats, after the election.