Former television journalist Yekaterina Duntsova who intended standing in the Russian election on a platform to end the war with Ukraine, has been barred from standing.
According to the BBC, the electoral commission voted unanimously to reject her candidacy three days after her application, citing 100 ‘mistakes’ on her form.
Duntsova has vowed to appeal the decision at the Supreme Court.
The presidential election, which will be held in March 2024, is Russia’s first since President Putin launched his full-scale invasion of Ukraine nearly two years ago.
Russia’s constitution was amended in 2020, increasing the presidential term from four to six years and giving Putin a clean slate to run again by cancelling out his previous terms.
With Moscow having sidelined opposition figures for years, Putin is expected to win in March. The BBC reports that the Kremlin claims he enjoys genuine support among Russians.
[Image: Evgeni Tcherkasski from Pixabay]