Kremlin challenger Boris Nadezhdin says he has collected enough signatures to stand as a candidate in Russia’s upcoming presidential election.
The former Local Councillor has become known for his relatively outspoken criticism of Putin and of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Nadezhdin said he handed over more than the 100,000 required signatures to the electoral authorities.
Current president Vladimir Putin has already registered as an independent candidate for the election in March, which will almost certainly see him win another six-year term.
Nadezhdin, 60, was a Local Councilor for more than 30 years. In a country where opposition figures have been jailed or even assassinated, his recent criticism of Putin appears to have been tolerated so far.
He recently said the President had “practically destroyed the key institutions of the modern State of Russia”, and said, if elected, his first task would be to end the war in Ukraine.
Thousands of Russians have lined in the cold around the country to add their names to the list of individuals who support Nadezhdin’s campaign.
Vladimir Putin has dominated Russia’s political scene since 2000. In 2020, a constitutional amendment was passed that allowed him to remain in power beyond 2024.
If he wins the March election, he will be president until 2030. If he decides to run again, he could serve for another six years, until 2036.
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