MOSCOW, May 16. /TASS/. The Supreme Council of the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia on Monday made a decision to hold the party’s congress on May 27 to elect a new leader, the acting leader of the LDPR’s faction in the State Duma, Leonid Slutsky, has said.

"There has been a meeting of the LDPR’s Supreme Council. A decision was made to hold an early congress in Moscow on May 27. The election of the party’s leader will be on the agenda," Slutsky told TASS.

Slutsky said that the Liberal Democrats’ congress would be held for the first time without the party’s founder Vladimir Zhirinovsky, who had led the party for more than 30 years.

The Supreme Council gathered at the request of the regional branches, which in accordance with the party’s Charter issued an appeal for convening an early congress.

"The party will continue its political activity and certainly achieve the aims Zhirinovsky identified," Slutsky said.

Zhirinovsky died on April 6 after a prolonged illness. The party said that it would refrain from discussing any personnel issues for a period of 40 days. Under the party’s Charter, the election of the party’s leader and its Supreme Council or early termination of their powers is a competence of the party’s congress.