Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny clears first hurdle in bid to challenge Vladimir Putin in Russian election
Putin has announced he will seek a fourth presidential term, which would extend his rule until 2024 and make him the longest-serving Russian leader since Stalin
More than 15,000 Russians on Sunday endorsed the candidacy of Alexei Navalny, seen as the only Russian opposition leader who stands a fighting chance of challenging President Vladimir Putin in a March vote.
“An election without us is not an election,” Navalny declared in Moscow before submitting his nomination to the Central Electoral Commission, which will rule whether he can run.
Authorities have deemed the 41-year-old ineligible to run due to a criminal conviction, saying “only a miracle” would help him get registered. Navalny has described the conviction as politically motivated.
Thousands backing the charismatic lawyer met in 20 cities from the Pacific port of Vladivostok to Saint Petersburg in the northwest to nominate him as a candidate in the presence of electoral officials to boost his chances of contesting the March 18 ballot.
His campaign said more than 15,000 people endorsed him nationwide. An independent candidate needs 500 votes to get registered with election authorities, according to legislation.
I am hugely happy, I am proud to tell you that I stand here as a candidate of the entire Russia
In Moscow, more than 700 people supported Navalny’s candidacy as they gathered in a huge marquee set up in a picturesque park on the snow-covered banks of the Moscow River.