Russia’s Presidential Election Candidates Finalized
Russia’s Presidential Election Candidates
Russia has closed its registration of candidates for the upcoming March presidential election, with a list that includes President Vladimir Putin, who is expected to win, and three politicians who support Moscow’s war in Ukraine.
Anti-War Candidate Barred from Running
Russian anti-war candidate Boris Nadezhdin was not included in the list after the Central Election Commission (CEC) barred him from running, citing flaws in the collection of required signatures for his candidacy support.
New Candidates Registered
The CEC registered Vladislav Davankov, deputy chair of the Russian Duma, and member of the New People caucus; Leonid Slutsky, leader of the Kremlin-loyal ultra-nationalist Liberal Democratic Party (LDPR); and the Communist Party nominee, Nikolai Kharitonov.
Putin’s Expected Victory
President Vladimir Putin, who has been Russia’s paramount leader since 2000 and controls all the state’s levers, is expected to easily win next month’s vote. He has chosen to run as an independent and is not the candidate of the ruling United Russia party.
Nadezhdin’s Challenge
Boris Nadezhdin, who has been critical of Putin’s war in Ukraine, expressed his intention to challenge the CEC’s decision in Russia’s Supreme Court, despite not being seen as a serious rival to Putin by the Kremlin.
War in Ukraine
The war, referred to by the Kremlin as a “special military operation”, has been ongoing for nearly two years, resulting in the deaths of thousands and displacing millions of Ukrainians.
The conflict has turned scores of cities and villages into rubble, impacting the lives of countless individuals on both sides of the conflict.
