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Putin critic calls for Russian election protests
By Eliott C. McLaughlin, CNN, and Darya Tarasova
Updated 2:15 PM ET, Wed December 27, 2017
"The procedure in which we are invited to participate is not an election," he said earlier this week. "It involves only
Putin and those candidates whom he personally chose, who do not pose a slightest threat to him."
US State Department spokesman Noel Clay told Russian state-run media that the United States was concerned by
the CEC's decision to keep Navalny o the ballot, prompting Russia's Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria
Zakharova to issue a statement saying the Americans were meddling in Russian a airs.
"This statement by the Department of State, which will surely not be the only one, is a direct interference both in
the election process and in the internal a airs of our state," she wrote.
The US State Department has previously labeled charges against Navalny as examples of "political violence" in
Russia, alleging they were pursued only as a result of Navalny's activism.
His campaign is already filing applications for marches and rallies "so that not one of the o cials would say to us
afterwards, 'Oh, the square is occupied with a belly dance competition,'" Navalny wrote.
During Navalny's pre-campaign tour, the activist's supporters arrived to find other events being held at his rally
sites, including a belly-dancing competition in Samara. Navalny later complained on his blog that the belly dance
music drowned out his event.
The election commission rejected Navalny's registration the day after he submitted it and held nomination
gatherings to kick o his campaign, according to state-run media outlet RIA-Novosti.
"A citizen who has been sentenced to imprisonment for committing a grave or especially grave crime, and who has
an outstanding conviction for the said crime, has no right to be elected president of the Russian Federation," said
CEC member Boris Ebzeev.
The decision was not a surprise. Navalny's candidacy was unlikely because Russian law prevents convicted
criminals from running for public o ce. Navalny will appeal the commission's decision, campaign press secretary
Ruslan Shaveddinov said Monday.
Putin, who has served as either Russia's prime minister or president since 1999, announced his intention to seek
re-election -- his fourth presidential bid -- as an independent candidate during his annual press conference this
month.
He said his aim was for Russia to have a "competitive" and "balanced" political system, but that it isn't his
responsibility to create political opponents.
"I want this," Putin said, "and I will strive for a balanced political system, and that is impossible without competition
in the political field."
http://www.cnn.com/2017/12/27/asia/russia-alexey-navalny-barred-election-boycott-protest/index.html 2/3
12/27/2017 Putin critic calls for Russian election protests - CNN
But Putin also said that most of the current opposition figures
were more focused on "making noise" than on a genuine
agenda that could benefit the country.
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http://www.cnn.com/2017/12/27/asia/russia-alexey-navalny-barred-election-boycott-protest/index.html 3/3