War opponent Nadezhdin not allowed to run for president

The opposition politician Nadezhdin wanted to challenge the Kremlin leader in the presidential election in Russia. Now the electoral authorities have decided: He is not allowed to take part in the election – due to alleged formal errors.

Many observers had ruled out a candidacy of the liberal opposition and war opponent Boris Nadezhdin in the presidential election in Russia from the outset. It is now official that Russia’s Central Election Commission will not allow the 60-year-old to stand in the March vote. The election commission headed by Ella Pamfilova justified the rejection with a large number of incorrect supporter signatures.

In addition to Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin, who wants to become president for the fifth time, there are three other candidates. They are seen as hopeless candidates who either support Putin directly or have no political profile of their own. Nadezhdin wanted to run for the Citizens’ Initiative party.

Nadezhdin wants to appeal the decision

The opposition hoped to have an alternative to Putin in Nadezhdin. The politician announced that he would challenge the election commission’s decision in the Supreme Court. “I don’t agree with the decision of the election committee,” said Nadezhdin. The signatures for him were collected openly and honestly.

“Participating in the 2024 presidential election is the most important political decision of my life,” Nadezhdin wrote on Telegram. He will not back down from his plan. “I will appeal the election commission’s decision to the Supreme Court.”

Nadezhdin’s supporters lined up for a long time in January to submit their signatures for him to be a candidate in the March 15-17 election. Significantly more than the required 100,000 signatures were collected. According to the electoral commission, 9,147 of a sample of 60,000 signatures were declared invalid. That was around 15 percent. However, the error rate must not be more than five percent.

Putin’s re-election is considered certain

Nadezhdin was the only candidate who openly spoke out against Putin’s war of aggression in Ukraine. To the annoyance of the Kremlin, the opposition politician received great support from many of his compatriots for this anti-war stance.

Political observers had practically ruled out Nadezhdin’s candidacy before the election authority’s decision. Incumbent Putin had the Russian constitution changed in 2020 in order to be able to run as a candidate again. His re-election is considered certain. After six years in office, according to the current constitution, he is allowed to run for the last time in 2030.