According to the state-backed RIA news agency, Vladimir Putin is set to run for president again as an independent candidate with a strong support base, but not as a member of a party, two senior pro-Kremlin lawmakers said on Saturday. Putin, who has held power as either president or prime minister for over 20 years, has announced his intention to seek another six-year term in the upcoming March election, which he is widely expected to win.
Despite having the complete support of the ruling United Russia (UR) party, Putin will not run as their candidate. This was reported by a senior UR party official named Andrei Turchak, as cited by RIA. Sergei Mironov, a senior politician from the Just Russia party who also supports Putin, was quoted by RIA as saying that Putin would run as an independent candidate and that signatures would be gathered in his support.
For the 71-year-old Putin, the upcoming election is seen as a mere formality, with the backing of the state, state-run media, and little mainstream public opposition, making his victory all but certain. Supporters of Putin argue that he has restored order, national pride, and some of the influence Russia lost during the tumultuous period following the collapse of the Soviet Union. They also justify his military intervention in Ukraine, which Putin refers to as a “special military operation.”
Over the past several years, there has been a significant crackdown on dissent and criticism, bolstered by sweeping new laws on “fake news” and “discrediting the army.” This has led to harsh jail sentences for critics and opponents of the war, with many fleeing the country as the space for dissent continues to shrink.
(Reporting by Reuters; Editing by Andrew Osborn)
