Boris Nadezhdin, a vocal opponent of the Kremlin, has officially entered the race for Russia’s upcoming presidential elections in March.
The 60-year-old local council member has pledged to bring an end to Russia’s involvement in the conflict in Ukraine. He announced that he has gathered over 100,000 signatures of support from 40 different regions and has submitted all necessary documents to the Central Election Commission (CEC) to challenge President Vladimir Putin.
The CEC will now verify the authenticity of the signatures submitted by Nadezhdin and other potential candidates. The final list of candidates, including Putin, will be announced next month for the March 15-17 elections.
The electoral body has previously disqualified candidates for irregularities in their submitted signatures or documents.
Putin, who is running as an independent candidate, needs 300,000 signatures but has already amassed over 3.5 million, according to his supporters.
In December, the 71-year-old incumbent announced his intention to seek another term, and is widely expected to secure a fifth term as president, extending his 24-year tenure as Russia’s leader.
Original from www.aljazeera.com