Boris Nadezhdin, aiming to end Putin’s reign, barred from Russian elections

Russia’s presidential election, scheduled for March 17, 2024, has been marred by controversy and criticism, as the only candidate who opposed the ongoing war in Ukraine has been disqualified from the race.

Boris Nadezhdin, a local legislator and former member of the liberal Yabloko party, was excluded by the Central Election Commission (CEC) on Thursday, February 8, due to alleged irregularities in his signature collection.

Nadezhdin, who had campaigned on a platform of ending the war and restoring dialogue with the West, had managed to gather more than 200,000 signatures in support of his candidacy, well above the required 100,000.

However, the CEC invalidated 15 percent of the first 60,000 signatures, claiming that they were forged, duplicated, or belonged to dead or underage people. This put Nadezhdin below the 5 percent defect rate limit, which is the legal threshold for disqualification.

Nadezhdin denied the accusations and appealed to the CEC to postpone its decision and give him more time to verify and challenge the disputed signatures. He also said that he would take his case to the Supreme Court if necessary. However, the CEC rejected his request and confirmed his exclusion, saying that it had followed the law and the deadlines.

Reactions surrounding Nadezhdin’s exclusion

Nadezhdin’s supporters and sympathizers denounced the CEC’s decision as a political move to eliminate the only real alternative to the incumbent President Vladimir Putin, who is widely expected to win a fifth term in office.

They also pointed out the unprecedented public support that Nadezhdin had received, as thousands of people had lined up across the country to sign his papers, despite the cold weather and the pandemic restrictions. Many of them had expressed their dissatisfaction with the war, which has cost the lives of thousands of Russian soldiers and civilians, and has isolated Russia from the international community.

Nadezhdin’s exclusion also raised questions about the fairness and legitimacy of the election, which has been criticized by the opposition and international observers as a sham and a foregone conclusion.

Apart from Putin, the only other candidates who have been registered are either loyalists, spoilers, or fringe figures, who pose no threat to the Kremlin’s dominance. The most prominent opposition leader, Alexei Navalny, who had exposed the corruption and the human rights violations of the regime, has been imprisoned since 2022 on politically motivated charges.

The CEC’s decision has also sparked a debate about the role and the future of the anti-war movement in Russia, which has been growing in recent years, especially among the younger and more educated segments of society.

Impact on Nadezhdin’s campaign

Some analysts have argued that Nadezhdin’s campaign, despite its failure, has shown that there is a demand and potential for a peaceful and democratic change in Russia. Others have warned that the repression and the censorship of the dissenting voices will only fuel more frustration and radicalization among the people.

The CEC’s decision has effectively ended Nadezhdin’s presidential bid, but it has not silenced his voice or his message. He has vowed to continue his fight for peace and democracy and to mobilize his supporters for the upcoming parliamentary elections in 2025.

He has also urged the Russians to boycott the presidential election and to demand a new and fair one. He has said: “You are not refusing me, but tens of millions of people who are hoping for change.”