Yekaterina Duntsova, a former Russian TV journalist, has been rejected the opportunity to challenge against President Vladimir Putin in the upcoming presidential election of Russia, despite her candidacy as an independent candidate.
According to reports from Russian television, on Saturday, the Central Electoral Commission of Russia rejected Duntsova's application that was submitted on December 20, saying that there were mistakes in the documents.
Ella Pamfilova, the head of the commission, announced that Duntsova's candidacy for the upcoming March 17 election, which is expected to be won by Putin with no trouble, was without opposition rejected by the members.
Duntsova's campaign focused on ending the Ukraine conflict and calling for the release of political prisoners.
Observer of the president perceive the rejection of her candidacy as proof that people with opposing views will not be permitted to run against him in this first presidential election following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
According to the Kremlin, Putin's anticipated victory is credited to his genuinely significant level of support across society, as indicated by his approximately 80 percent approval ratings in opinion polls.
The commission denied Duntsova the opportunity to proceed to the next stage of gathering supporters' signatures, citing her young age and promising future. Despite this, Duntsova, who submitted her candidacy documents to challenge Putin, questioned the necessity of seeking permission to run against him, asserting that it is her right under the law.
Putin, who has been in power for 24 years, is expected to secure his fifth term as president despite little competition, as prominent opposition figures like Alexey Navalny face imprisonment or reside outside of Russia due to the risk of arrest.
Last month, in an interview with Reuters, Dunstova urged the release of political prisoners, including Navalny.
Furthermore, she discontinued from using the term "war" to outline the Russia-Ukraine conflict, a phrase Putin has labeled as a "special military operation." Dunstova acknowledged her fear in doing so, saying that any reasoned people would be afraid. However, she emphasized the importance of not letting fear of triumph.
