Russia’s election commission has dismissed Boris Nadezhdin, an anti-war challenger, as a candidate in the upcoming presidential election, despite his vocal criticism of Vladimir Putin’s military actions in Ukraine.
Nadezhdin contested the commission’s assertion that over 15% of the signatures he submitted were flawed but faced rejection nonetheless.
Undeterred, Nadezhdin announced on social media his intention to challenge the decision in Russia’s Supreme Court, emphasizing the transparency and integrity of his signature collection process.
The Central Election Commission cited over 9,000 invalid signatures among Nadezhdin’s submissions, leaving him just short of the required 100,000 to qualify as a candidate.
Scheduled for March 15-17, Russia’s presidential election appears predetermined, with only Kremlin-approved candidates permitted to run.
The final decision on candidates will be announced on Saturday.
Boris Nadezhdin, known for his appearances on state-run TV talk shows, has emerged as a rare government critic following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Despite skepticism from some opposition figures, Nadezhdin received support from prominent opposition leader Alexei Navalny, currently imprisoned in the Arctic Circle.
Nadezhdin, speaking on BBC TV, pledged to prioritize ending the conflict in Ukraine and normalizing relations with the West if elected president, acknowledging the challenges ahead.
His anti-war stance echoes that of previous presidential hopefuls, including Yekaterina Duntsova, who was disqualified in December due to errors on her application form.
Source-BBC
