2023-12-24 16:31:18
The Communist Party of the Russian Federation has chosen 75-year-old Nikolai Kharitonov to face President Vladimir Putin in the upcoming presidential elections in March. Kharitonov previously ran against Putin in 2004, receiving 13.7% of the vote compared to Putin’s 71.3%. According to the party’s statement, Kharitonov received the support of 175 members of the Central Committee, while six were opposed to his nomination.
Kharitonov, a member of the Russian Parliament, has been a consistent supporter of the war against Ukraine and the annexation of Ukrainian territories captured by the Communists to Russia. He stated to reporters that his function in the election system is to strengthen the people to win on all fronts and added that he will present an election platform under the title “For Victory”.
It is worth noting that the Central Election Commission of Russia banned journalist Yekaterina Dontsova, who opposes the war and called for peace in Ukraine, from running for president, citing alleged technical errors in her application to register as a candidate.
In a previous interview with the “New York Times”, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov predicted that Putin will be elected with more than 90% of the vote. He also admitted that presidential elections are not really a democracy, but a bureaucracy that costs a lot of money, which caused an uproar at the time. He later slightly corrected himself, stating that his words were distorted by the Americans.
Peskov also expressed his personal opinion that, theoretically, elections should not even take place because it is already clear that Putin will be elected, taking into account the level of consolidation of the society around him. Putin changed the Russian constitution in 2020 to be able to serve as president until 2036, a move that was explained by Douma chairman Vyacheslav Volodin as one that will bring stability to the country.
The upcoming presidential elections in Russia are expected to be closely watched, with Putin seeking to extend his time in office amidst opposition and international scrutiny.
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