Anti-war Candidate Barred from Russia’s Presidential Election, Clearing Path for Putin
In a move that further solidifies Vladimir Putin’s dominance in Russian politics, anti-war candidate Boris Nadezhdin has been barred from standing in the country’s upcoming presidential election. The decision was made by the Central Election Committee (CEC) of Russia, which is responsible for registering and verifying potential candidates. According to the CEC, Nadezhdin fell short of the required number of legitimate signatures needed for his candidacy.
Nadezhdin, a former State Duma MP, had positioned himself as the sole presidential hopeful willing to openly oppose Putin’s policies, particularly the invasion of Ukraine. Thousands of people across Russia and Europe had shown their support for Nadezhdin by lining up to give their signatures. However, the CEC claimed to have identified a significant number of invalid signatures, exceeding the permissible limit for registration.
Nadezhdin has disputed the CEC’s claims and plans to appeal the refusal of his registration to the Supreme Court. He believes that hundreds of thousands of people genuinely signed for him and intends to challenge the committee’s regulations and collection procedure. This decision to bar Nadezhdin from the election highlights the isolation of anti-war activists from Russia’s political scene.
The sidelining and targeting of political opponents in Russia has been a recurring theme throughout Putin’s four terms as president, especially since the invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Nadezhdin had previously expressed concerns for his safety and his family’s well-being due to his opposition to Putin. Despite these fears, he decided to stand for election in the hopes of creating a peaceful and free country for future generations.
The Kremlin had initially dismissed Nadezhdin’s candidacy, with spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stating that they did not consider him a rival. However, Nadezhdin’s efforts gained attention when he delivered the maximum allowed number of signatures to the CEC. In an interview, he expressed his intention to provide a pension and government protection for Putin if he were to win.
The upcoming presidential election in Russia will feature four candidates on the official ballot: Putin, Vladislav Davankov, Nikolai Kharitonov, and Leonid Slutsky. While Davankov is the deputy chair of the Duma and Kharitonov is a member of the Communist Party, all four candidates are considered reliably pro-Kremlin. Putin is expected to secure another term that will extend his rule until 2030, making him the longest-serving ruler since Joseph Stalin.
Throughout his 24 years in power, Putin has marginalized political opponents and controlled the country’s press. Russia’s tightly managed democracy allows for little real political competition, turning presidential elections into mere showcases of Putin’s popular approval. Opposition activists have criticized the elections as a “circus” designed to spread hopelessness among the electorate.
This is not the first time an independent candidate who openly opposed the war in Ukraine has been rejected by the CEC. Yekaterina Duntsova, another anti-war candidate, was also barred from running in the election due to alleged errors in her campaign group’s registration documents. Duntsova has since called on people to support Nadezhdin’s candidacy.
The decision to bar Nadezhdin from the presidential election further solidifies Putin’s grip on power and raises concerns about the sidelining of political opponents in Russia. As Moscow prepares for an election that international observers consider a mere formality, it becomes evident that Putin’s dominance in Russian politics remains unchallenged.
CNN’s Nathan Hodge and Lauren Kent contributed to this report.
