A Russian anti-war politician is blocked from running against Putin
Russian election authorities rejected Boris Nadezhdin as a candidate in next month's presidential balloting.
TALLINN, Estonia (AP) — Antiwar politician Boris Nadezhdin was rejected Thursday as a candidate in next month's presidential balloting by Russian election authorities, a strong signal from the Kremlin that it won't tolerate any public opposition to the invasion of Ukraine.
The move by the Central Election Commission provides an even smoother path for President Vladimir Putin to win a fifth term in power. He faces only token opposition from pro-Kremlin candidates in the March 15-17 vote and is all but certain to win, given his tight control of Russia's political system.
Nadezhdin, a local legislator in a town near Moscow, had needed to gather at least
