Russian elections commission to postpone final decision on Nadezhdin’s candidacy

Presidential candidate Boris Nadezhdin was barred from Russian elections this week.

Boris Nadezhdin, an anti-war presidential candidate was prohibited from running in next month’s presidential elections by the Central Election Committee (CEC) of Russia. The CEC claims the former parliament member presented flawed signatures to back his candidacy.

Although Nadezhdin appealed for more time to evaluate CEC claims, the committee dismissed his plea.  The former opposition candidate gained support in Europe by being a vocal anti-war politician. Now, Russian citizens will vote next month between four candidates. Incumbent President Vladimir Putin is running for his fifth term which would keep him in power until 2030.

Despite  Nadezhdin stating he would contest the CEC ruling and its institutional framework, expect the ban to stand. In the short term, it is expected Russia will keep a tight grip on the media to avoid discontent at home as the war abroad weakens the economy. Vladimir Putin is also expected to win the elections which are seen as mere formalities by international observers. In the medium to long term, Russian foreign policy is expected to maintain its offensive in Ukraine, and deepen its ties with North Korea and key countries from the global south, such as India, Turkey, and Iran.