State Duma second half of the 1990s, the Duma became an important forum for lobbying by regional leaders and businessmen looking for tax breaks and legislative favors. The work of the leading committees, such as those for defense, foreign affairs, or budget, attracted a good deal of media attention and lobbying activity. In the early 2000s, following the 1999 parliamentary elections, the pro-presidential Unity party and the Communist Party of the Russian Federation were the leading forces in the State Duma. A 2016 exposé by Dissernet showed that 1 in 9 members of the State Duma had obtained academic degrees with theses
Duma (DC Comics) Duma (DC Comics) Duma is a fallen angel in the DC Vertigo series "The Sandman", created by the British author Neil Gaiman. His name means "silence", and he is based on an angel from Jewish mythology. In Jewish folklore, Duma is the angel of silence and death's stillness; the Hebrew word "Dumah" means silence. According to the same stories, he is the guardian of Egypt and the prince of vindication, and sometimes is called the angel who killed the firstborn Egyptians in Moses' time. At least one source names him a "Prince of Hell"; meaning that at some unknown point