But Nadezhdin's ban signals a further shift by the Kremlin from a democracy to a regime that Russian analysts describe as authoritarian and bordering on totalitarianism. There, a rigged election is being used to provide a veneer of legitimacy for a 71-year-old president without threatening his legitimacy. Power.
Russian authorities have previously barred candidates from entering the country who pose a real threat to Putin, such as jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny, and allowed only a select group of fellow candidates who cooperate with the regime into the country. .
There are still three other candidates, but they have few differences with the president and are known to have a history of working with the Kremlin. These are not expected to pose a significant challenge to President Putin.
“Participating in the 2024 presidential election is the most important political decision of my life. I have no intention of retracting my intentions,” said Nadezhdin, who will appeal this decision in court. However, given the highly politicized nature of the court system, the move is unlikely to overturn the ban.
The popularity of Nadezhdin's candidacy surprised the Kremlin, with long lines forming outside election offices across Russia, demonstrating the depth of dissatisfaction with the war with Ukraine and other issues.
Mr. Nadezhdin, 60, a physicist and opposition politician, has frequently appeared on state television criticizing the war but is not as well-known as other leading opposition figures such as Mr. Navalny. .
In a message on Telegram, Nadezhdin called on his supporters not to give up.
“Something happened that many people could not believe. The people sensed that change was possible in Russia,” he wrote.
Under Russian election law, candidates must collect at least 100,000 signatures across the country to qualify. Nadejdin submitted about 105,000 applications, of which the Election Commission rejected more than 9,100 (8.7%). To qualify, you cannot disable more than 5%.
The commission claimed that the names of 11 dead people were found among his signatures, thereby tainting his entire list.
Nadejdin's team previously reported that the commission's automated software misread the handwritten addresses of some signatories, incorrectly disqualifying them.
“You're not denying me. You're denying tens of millions of people who want change,” Nadejdin said after the decision. “There are tens of millions of people here who were going to vote for me. I'm second only to President Putin. The polls say we're in double digits and 11 people died. That’s it.”
Nadezhdin said they had collected more than 200,000 signatures, but not all had been submitted. “We carried out our collection openly and honestly. The queues at our headquarters and collection points attracted the attention of the whole world.”
Although this anti-war candidate does not seem to have the support to defeat Putin, a large-scale protest vote for or against Putin would upset the Kremlin, cause internal divisions, and cause heavy casualties. There is a possibility that the unpopularity of the war, which has resulted in casualties, will raise concerns about the ever-increasing war. This is a clear benefit for ordinary Russians.
A poll conducted by independent pollster Levada in October found that 55% of people want peace negotiations, while 38% want Russia to continue fighting.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Nadezhdin was barred from running because of “numerous errors in signatures and numerous invalidated signatures.”
“That is, an important criterion has not been met here. Therefore, I have nothing to comment on. The Central Election Commission will strictly adhere to the rules set for candidates.”
In December, authorities banned another anti-war candidate, former TV journalist Ekaterina Duntsova, from running in the election after she refused to submit signatures.
Critics point to a number of other flaws in the election that could point to fraud. Voting will take place over three days, with opaque electronic voting systems playing a central role for the first time.
The Kremlin controls Russia's media, with opposition activists and critics of the war imprisoned. Employees at Russian state-owned enterprises are routinely required to show their bosses screenshots or cellphone photos to prove who they voted for.
Natalia Abbakumova in Riga, Latvia contributed to this report
