Former TV journalist Yekaterina Duntsova has been barred from running against President Vladimir Putin in Russia’s upcoming presidential election, scheduled for March 2024. The Russian Central Election Commission disqualified Duntsova’s candidacy on the grounds of “mistakes in documents” found in her application, as reported by Russian television. This decision was unanimous among the commission members.
Duntsova, who had planned to run on a platform advocating the end of the war in Ukraine and the release of political prisoners, had submitted her candidacy documents on December 20. Critics of President Putin have seized upon her disqualification as evidence that genuine opposition figures will not be allowed to challenge Putin in the first presidential election since the start of the war in Ukraine.
Russian President Vladimir Putin delivers a speech during a ceremony to present Gold Star medals to Heroes of Russia on the eve of Heroes of the Fatherland Day at the St. George Hall of the Grand Kremlin Palace in Moscow, Russia, Friday, Dec. 8, 2023. (Valery Sharifulin, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)
Ella Pamfilova, the head of the Central Election Commission, offered Duntsova words of consolation following her disqualification, suggesting that she is young and has a lot ahead of her, and that any experience, even negative, can be valuable.
Duntsova, aged 40, had faced challenges in assembling her application, citing difficulties in finding a lawyer to certify her bid after several declined. She also approached Grigory Yavlinsky, the leader of the liberal Yabloko party, to nominate her as their candidate so she could resubmit her application. However, Yavlinsky stated in a YouTube interview that Yabloko would not back her, citing a lack of familiarity with Duntsova.
