Information
Russian presidential hopeful Boris Nadezhdin submitted more than 100,000 signatures from supporters needed to register as a candidate in the upcoming election on Wednesday. The Central Election Commission will check the authenticity of the signatures and must decide within 10 days whether he can run. “Millions of people” support his bid, the 60-year-old Kremlin critic said. “I don’t understand how these signatures could not be accepted.” Nadezhdin expressed surprise at the overwhelming support he received and stated that people are aware that their lives and families are in danger due to the actions of Russian President Vladimir Putin. In the event that the election commission rejects his candidacy, he informed his supporters that he would call for mass protests in 150 cities across the country.
The outcome of the election is already decided, with the current President Putin expected to win. Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated last week that they do not consider anyone a rival. Putin registered as a candidate for the March 15-17 election this week as an independent rather than representing the ruling United Russia party. He submitted 315,000 signatures to support his candidacy. Earlier this month, Nadezhdin stated that if the country wasn’t spending so much money on the military, more funds would be available to improve its citizens’ lives.
Source: Reuters, AFP, AP
Assessment
While it appears almost certain that Putin will win the upcoming election, it is possible that he will let Nadezhdin run, even with his anti-war message, to provide him with the ability to claim victory as further support for the conflict. A significant win over an anti-war candidate allows Putin and his supporters to claim that the war in Ukraine has the support of the Russian people, legitimizing further action and giving them a scapegoat on the international stage.
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