Published: December 18, 2023 2:33 pm
Author: RT
The Russian president has only been put forward as a party nominee once in his more than 20-year political career
Russian President Vladimir Putin will seek reelection for a fifth term in office next year as an independent candidate. Putin ran as a party nominee only once, in 2012.
On Monday, Putin filed papers to register as a presidential candidate with Russia’s Central Election Commission, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told RIA Novosti.
The president will now need to gather at least 300,000 signatures from his supporters, as required by Russian law in order for independent candidates to make it onto the ballot.
Putin’s bid was unanimously backed by the convention of the ruling United Russia party on Sunday. The party’s chair, ex-President Dmitry Medvedev, said “there is not a vestige of doubt who should be at the helm of the Russian state in this turbulent period.” The party will “do its best to help incumbent President Vladimir Putin secure a landslide victory once again,” Medvedev stressed.
On Saturday, Putin’s bid was also backed by an independent action group, which included a number of high-profile officials, experts, actors, and athletes.
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