Russian politician calling for peace in Ukraine rejected as a presidential candidate
==========

Antiwar politician Boris Nadezhdin was rejected as a candidate in the upcoming Russian presidential election by the Central Election Commission. The rejection is seen as a signal from the Kremlin that it won't tolerate any public opposition to the invasion of Ukraine. Nadezhdin, who had gathered thousands of signatures in support of his candidacy, openly called for a halt to the war in Ukraine and for starting a dialogue with the West. President Vladimir Putin, running as an independent candidate, faces only token opposition and is expected to win a fifth term in power. Most opposition figures have been imprisoned or exiled, and independent Russian media outlets have been banned. The election commission declared that more than 9,000 signatures submitted by Nadezhdin were invalid, disqualifying him from the race. Nadezhdin plans to appeal the decision in court.

#Russia #Ukraine #PresidentialElection #Opposition #VladimirPutin

https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/russian-politician-calling-peace-ukraine-rejected-presidential-candidate-107053944