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 arson attack Duma arson attack The Duma village arson attack refers to the firebombing of a Palestinian family home in late July 2015 in the village of Duma, which resulted in the loss of life of three of the family members; 18-month-old Ali Dawabsheh was burned alive in the fire, while both his parents died from their injuries within weeks. On January 3, 2016, 21 year old Jewish settler, Amiram Ben-Uliel, was indicted for the murder, and along with a Jewish minor, for participation in the planning the murder. In addition, along with two others, they were both charged with one count