More than 30 candidates apply to run for Russian president

Russia's Election Commission announced that more than 30 candidates have filed to run for president of Russia in the election early next year.

"Of course the election campaign will be competitive, because there are obviously many candidates," said the chairwoman of the Central Election Commission (CEC) Ella Pamfilova on December 26, but stressed that the level of competition "does not depend on the number, but on the quality of candidates."

According to Ms. Pamfilova, after submitting their applications, independent candidates will have time to campaign, while parties hold congresses to choose representatives for next year's presidential election.

Chairwoman of the Central Election Commission (CEC) of Russia Ella Pamfilova at the Kremlin in July. Photo: Kremlin — Chairwoman of the Central Election Commission (CEC) of Russia Ella Pamfilova at the Kremlin in July. Photo: *Kremlin*

Former Russian TV journalist Yekaterina Duntsova, 40, said last week that she had registered to run for president of Russia. However, the CEC later announced that Ms. Duntsova was not allowed to collect signatures from supporters to qualify for the election, after finding numerous errors in her application.

"A total of 100 errors were found in the records. In addition, the notary also made mistakes when certifying the documents," the CEC said.

Ms Duntsova has called for an end to the conflict in Ukraine and the release of activists, including Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny.

Russian political scientist Alexey Martynov said on December 24 that the war in Ukraine will become the main theme of the election campaign. Candidates will have to highlight the internal political structure, propose solutions to support Russian servicemen and their families, and solve social problems related to the war. Candidates will also have to clarify how they see life in the country under the pressure of sanctions and the deadlocked relationship with the West.

Under Russian election law, presidential candidates must register by December 27 and then collect signatures from supporters to qualify for the ballot. Independent candidates need at least 300,000 signatures, while party representatives need only 100,000.

The CEC announced on December 20 that it will also set up polling stations in four provinces annexed from Ukraine, including Donetsk, Lugansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson.

President Vladimir Putin, 71, announced on December 8 that he would run for re-election as an independent candidate. His campaign headquarters are located in the Gostiny Dvor building, near the Kremlin, and are open to the public during office hours on weekdays.

If elected, Mr. Putin will remain in power until 2030 and can still run for another 6-year term. Polls show that Mr. Putin receives support from about 80% of Russians and is expected to easily win next year's election.

Huyen Le (According to TASS , Reuters )

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