Sham elections in Russia: who are the other candidates that are challenging Putin?

On Monday, the Central Electoral Commission in Moscow officially approved the registration of Vladimir Putin as a candidate for the upcoming presidential elections. Despite running as an independent candidate, Putin has garnered support from the ruling party, United Russia, as well as the parties Rodina, Russian Pensioners’ Party and The Russian Party of Life.

The political landscape in Russia today

The presidential elections coincide with ongoing protests by women in Russia, demanding the repatriation of their husbands or sons deployed for the conflict in Ukraine. While the scale of these protests may not be significant, internal criticism of Putin is becoming increasingly visible within the country.

Additionally, rough estimates suggest that since the onset of the Ukraine invasion and amid the mobilization in September 2022, nearly one million Russian citizens have left the country.

Who are Putin’s main rivals?

Putin’s three contenders vying for the position of head of state are presently serving as deputies in the Moscow Parliament. However, they are perceived more as figureheads rather than genuine political rivals for Putin. All registered candidates share a common stance in supporting Russia’s war in Ukraine, resulting in their inclusion on the international sanctions list.

The first candidate to officially enter the presidential race, Vladislav Davankov, a current deputy in the State Duma from the New People Party, was registered on January 5. Born on February 25, 1984, Davankov is a businessman who initiated his career in one of Russia’s largest cosmetics companies. His endorsement of Russia’s involvement in the Ukraine conflict has placed him on the list of individuals targeted by Western sanctions.

On the same registration day, Leonid Slutsky, another State Duma deputy representing the Liberal Democratic Party (formerly led by Vladimir Zhirinovschy), was officially registered as a candidate. Born on January 4, 1968, Slutsky assumed leadership of the party following Zhirinovschy’s death. Since 2014, he has been subject to Western sanctions due to his vocal support for the annexation of Crimea and the deployment of Russian forces in Ukraine.

In 2018, Slutsky faced a scandal involving accusations of sexual harassment by two female journalists. Despite the controversy, he asserted that the incident was orchestrated and expressed readiness to contribute to conflict resolution. The scandal has not impeded his continued political involvement.

Nicolay Kharitonov, representing the Communist Party of the Russian Federation and also a State Duma member, is another candidate officially registered. Born on October 30, 1948, Kharitonov is an agronomist by profession and has held various governmental positions since 1990, when he was elected as a parliament member during the legislature of Soviet Russia. He, too, is on the sanctions list due to his support for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Nadezhdin – a potential opposition cadidate?

Several individuals have expressed their intention to run in the upcoming presidential elections, with Boris Nadezhdin emerging as a widely discussed potential candidate due to his outspoken opposition to Russia’s war in Ukraine. Born on April 26, 1963, Nadezhdin is an engineer by profession and has a background in science and education.

His previous roles include working in the Office of the Government of the Russian Federation from 1997 to 1998, where he served as an adviser to Boris Nemtsov and later as an assistant to Prime Minister Sergei Kirienko. Nadezhdin was involved in drafting the statutes of Transneft and Gazprom. From 1999 to 2003, he served as a deputy in the State Duma. In the upcoming March 2024 elections, Nadezhdin plans to run as a candidate for the Civic Initiative, a center-right party founded in 2013 by former Economy Minister Andrei Nechaev.

The Central Electoral Commission has set a deadline of February 1 for Nadezhdin and other candidates to submit at least 100,000 signatures of support. Despite doubts from many experts about his registration, some political scientists speculate that Nadezhdin might still be registered, possibly to underscore the perceived low level of support for the anti-war opposition.

The Central Electoral Commission has already rejected four candidacies, including journalist Ecaterina Duntsova, who aimed to run as an independent candidate expressing opposition to the war in Ukraine and advocating for the release of political prisoners. Duntsova, born on April 24, 1983, in Tver, has worked as a journalist since 2003 and is not affiliated with any political party. The official reason for her rejection was cited as “the presence of 100 mistakes in the submitted documents.” Duntsova has pledged her support to Nadezhdin if he is registered.

The elected president of Russia will hold the position until May 2030, with the investiture of the future head of state scheduled for May 7.