Putin aims to leave nothing to chance in Russia’s 2024 election
by Laura Kelly - 12/26/23 6:31 PM ET
Russian President Vladimir Putin watches a concert during a visit of CIS heads of state to the Pavlovsk Palace on the sidelines of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) heads of state meeting in St. Petersburg, Russia, Tuesday, Dec. 26, 2023.
Russian President Vladimir Putin is working to eliminate what little political opposition remains to his rule in Russia ahead of the country’s presidential election in 2024.
Putin, who is seeking a fifth term as president in what is almost an assured victory in the March election, has moved to clear any obstacles in his path.
Russia’s Central Election Commission (CEC) last week rejected the presidential candidacy of Yekaterina Duntsova, a former TV journalist, over paperwork errors. Duntsova’s campaign, which is described as pro-peace and pro-democracy, has rejected the commission’s ruling and is appealing the decision through the courts.
“The CEC’s refusal is directed against the representation of millions of citizens who advocate for a peaceful and democratic future of Russia,” Duntsova’s campaign wrote on Telegram. “With this political decision, we are deprived of the opportunity to have our own representative and express views that differ from the official aggressive discourse.”
