Russia on Saturday (Dec 23) rejected an application by presidential election candidate Yekaterina Duntsova calling for peace in Ukraine. The Central Electoral Commission, citing mistakes in the documents submitted by Duntsova, cancelled the plea, reported Russian television.
The commission’s chief, Ella Pamfilova, released a statement saying that the members rejected Duntsova’s bid to stand in the elections to be held next year.
It further said Duntsova, who is a former journalist and city councillor campaigning “for peace and democratic processes”, could not move on to the next stage of assembling thousands of supporters’ signatures.
Pamfilova told her: “You are a young woman, you have everything ahead of you.”
She further said that at least 29 people had filed to run for the presidency in Russia.
Anti-war candidate
Calling for peace in Ukraine, Duntsova, submitted her application on Wednesday (Dec 20) to challenge incumbent President Vladimir Putin in the country’s upcoming elections in March 2024.
She presented her documents to the commission to register as a candidate days after taking her first steps toward candidate status on Sunday. In line with the country’s law, her run had to be endorsed by 500 supporters.
Duntsova, in an interview with Reuters last month, called for an end to the war in Ukraine and the release of political prisoners, including opposition leader Alexei Navalny.
“I feel a sense of accomplishment: We’ve done everything that we needed to do. We’ve made this step, and I think it should inspire people who support us,” said Duntsova, speaking to journalists in Moscow on Wednesday.
In her interview with Reuters, Duntsova avoided using the word “war” to describe the Russia-Ukraine conflict, which Putin calls his “special military operation”, but did acknowledge that she was afraid. “Any sane person taking this step would be afraid – but fear must not win.”
(With inputs from agencies)
