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On February 8, the Russian Central Election Commission (CEC) banned Putin’s rival Nadezhdin from elections due to “paperwork issues”
The commission claimed 15% of the supporters’ signatures Nadezhdin submitted to take part in the election invalid. Last week, the commission’s deputy chair, Nikolai Bulaev, claimed it had found 11 “dead souls” among the signatures, provided by Nadezhdin’s supporters.
“I do not agree with the decision of the central election commission … Participating in the presidential election in 2024 is the most important political decision in my life, I am not backing down from my intentions,” Nadezhdin reacted to the news from CEC.
He has no doubts that “hundreds of thousands of people really signed” to support his aspirations as a candidate. “We will appeal the regulations and the collection procedure itself,” added Nadezhdin.
Nadezhdin, even if allowed to participate, most definitely would not overcome Putin’s dominance in the orchestrated election in March, 2024. He also was incorporated in the government in the past. But his figure sparked some faint expectations from so-called Russian opposition.
Another anti-war candidate, Yekaterina Duntsova, has already been disqualified by the commission, also due to paperwork issues, which include wrong spelling.
Nadezhdin said that Putin had made a “fatal mistake by starting the special military operation” in Ukraine, the Kremlin’s euphemism for its invasion.
This presedential election, set to take place on 15-17 March, will give Putin another 6 years of power. Hence, his tenure will surpass Joseph Stalin, who ruled the Soviet Union for 29 years.
Read also: Russia threatens Baltic States, accusing them of sabotaging its so-called elections
