Vladimir Putin critic Boris Nadezhdin facing election block over signatures

A rival to Vladimir Putin in next month’s Russian elections has had his ability to run put in jeopardy, amid claims 15 per cent of signatures in support of his name being put on the ballot have been deemed invalid.

Russia’s Central Election Commission (CEC) has made the claims around the signatures which back Kremlin critic Boris Nadezhdin.

Candidates need to obtain 100,000 signatures to be allowed to run. Up to a maximum of 5 per cent of those can be considered “defective”, otherwise the candidate is barred from running.

The CEC said yesterday on Monday they had found errors in the signatures that “elicit surprise”. Mr Nadezhdin, inset, who is to meet with the CEC, formally submitted his bid to run last week.

Backed by the Civic Initiative party, which is not represented in the Russian parliament, the Duma, Mr Nadezhdin has spoken out against the war on Ukraine.

He has also called for Mr Putin to be replaced. Under Russian laws, speaking out against the Ukraine conflict can be punishable by 15 years in prison. Mr Nadezhdin, 60, was in the State Duma from 1999 to 2003. He was previously a municipal councillor in Moscow and was considered to be a close ally of murdered opposition politician Boris Nemtsov.

His campaign manager said on Telegram: “The commission meeting ended and the documents were taken away – 15.348 per cent defective, two sleepless nights ahead. To be included in the ballot, no more than 5 per cent of defects out of 60,000 checked are required.”

His team are now believed to be working to prove that 4,500 of the 9,209 signatures claimed to contain errors are valid, allowing him to run.

Mr Nadezhdin said he would fight the decision by the CEC. “If the Central Election Commission refuses to register me as a candidate, then I'll dispute it with the Supreme Court,” he said.

A final list of registered presidential candidates is expected on Wednesday.

Candidates who have been confirmed as standing in the election next month include Leonid Slutsky of the LDPR, Nikolay Kharitonov of the Communist Party, and Vladislav Davankov of New People.