A Russian politician who has said he will end the war in Ukraine if elected as President has formally submitted his candidacy to run in that country’s presidential poll, scheduled to be held next month.
Boris Nadezhdin submitted the 100 000 signatures necessary to stand as a candidate in the election to the electoral authorities. They will now determine whether the signatures are above-board and whether Nadezhdin can stand.
In December another candidate, Yekaterina Duntsova, was disqualified because of alleged mistakes in her application.
Nadezhdin has been an outspoken critic of the Russian President, Vladimir Putin, who he said had destroyed all Russia’s modern institutions. He also said that the invasion of Ukraine was a ‘fatal mistake’, and it was dragging Russia down a path of authoritarianism and oppression.
Outside observers believe Nadezhdin will be allowed to compete in the election, as he is unlikely to pose a serious threat to Putin. Opposition leaders who had widespread support and could challenge Putin’s grip on power have often been jailed or even killed.
Most Russia-watchers believe the March poll will be a sham, and will only be held to show a veneer of democracy over the autocratic Russian state.
The last Russian presidential election was held in 2018. According to official results, Putin won 80% of the vote.
[Photo: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Boris_Nadezhdin.jpg#/media/File:Boris_Nadezhdin.jpg]