An unlikely challenger to Putin brings a rare show of defiance, creating a dilemma for the Kremlin

Boris Nadezhdin has become a dilemma for the Kremlin as he seeks to run in the March 17 presidential election. The question now is whether Russian authorities will allow him on the ballot.

The stocky, bespectacled 60-year-old local legislator and academic has struck a chord with the public, openly calling for a halt to the conflict in Ukraine, the end of mobilizing Russian men for the military, and starting a dialogue with the West. He also has criticized the country’s repression of LGBTQ+ activism.

“The collection of signatures has gone unexpectedly well for us,” Nadezhdin told The Associated Press in an interview Wednesday in Moscow. “We didn’t expect this, to be honest.”

volvoxvsmarla,

Somehow from the headline I imagined something different. I somehow imagined a little Putin. Basically someone playing the game so hardcore on purpose that it is obvious that he is faking all of his public opinions. But by pretending to be anti-LGBT, pro war, etc, he would avoid all the possible made up claims of foreign agent, being anti-Russia, etc. So they would have to find some other reason to disqualify him. Imagine they’d not be able to find one and not kill him off and he would actually have to run in a DeSantis vs Trump like manner. And if he won he’d just break all his election promises. Stop the war, paint everything in rainbows, change the constitution back.

I mean I know that’s bs but that’s where my mind went and I want to keep it there for just 5 more minutes.

woelkchen,
@woelkchen@lemmy.world avatar

The question now is whether Russian authorities will allow him on the ballot.

The elections are rigged anyway.

rammer,
@rammer@sopuli.xyz avatar

But they need seemingly legitimate opposition that doesn’t really threaten them.

It doesn’t matter if the election is rigged or not. It is all about appearances. Even though everyone with a half a brain knows what’s going on.

woelkchen,
@woelkchen@lemmy.world avatar

I was explaining why it’s not a dilemma for the Russian government. You wrote “But…” and then made no counter argument, so I don’t see what you’re trying to say.

InFerNo,

The cynic in me tells me this guy is used to gauge how widespread those ideas are within Russia, providing interesting intelligence to Putin.

Akasazh,
@Akasazh@feddit.nl avatar

He’s a foil intended to prove that Russian ‘elections’ are indeed fair, that people do have a choice and that Putin will commit to the mandate given to him.

I think the gauging might be part of the reason too.

But Putin is very sly and careful around dissenters. There’s a reason Navalny isn’t dead. He’s careful not to create a martyr.

eran_morad,

He tried and failed to kill navalny once.

Akasazh,
@Akasazh@feddit.nl avatar

And after that he changed his mind

ATDA,

New law, all windows above the third floor must remain open for fire safety until the election.

Romanmir,
@Romanmir@lemmy.today avatar

How long before he’s offered some extra spicy tea?

Treczoks,

Or a walk by an open window?

kromem,

Eventually making a martyr out of your political opponents backfires.

It’s probably why Navalny is still alive.

You kill your sycophants that pose threats, but you arrest and routinely provide proof of life of your political opponents.

accideath,

Yea, worst case he’ll probably get the cell next to Navalny

Th4tGuyII,
Th4tGuyII avatar

Anyone want to take bets on how long it'll take for this guy to end up falling out of a building or get into a plane crash?

theodewere, (edited )
theodewere avatar

Even in the Far East city of Yakutsk, 450 kilometers (280 miles) south of the Arctic Circle, Nadezhdin’s team said up to 400 people a day braved temperatures that plunged to minus 40 Celsius (minus 40 Fahrenheit) to sign petitions.

this is pretty amazing, the guy's party doesn't even have seats in Parliament, and he might run against Putin

Exiled opposition activist Maxim Katz said on YouTube that whatever the outcome, Nadezhdin’s candidacy shows “there is one thing we know right now: Conversations about civic apathy in Russia are very far from reality. What we have is not civic apathy but a civic famine — an enormous hidden potential.”

that's a great quote, i like this guy

bassad,

Guys who signed petitions will be on next draft

theodewere,
theodewere avatar

there are cowards everywhere on the internet nowadays

FlyingSquid,
@FlyingSquid@lemmy.world avatar

Good thing Putin allows free and fair elections and never does anything really, really bad to people who try to run against him, isn’t it?

theodewere,
theodewere avatar

all the snide comments about "business as usual in Russia" are old, and not funny.. this situation is clearly different for a lot of reasons.. i don't know if Putin can do as much about this as he normally could..

Diplomjodler, (edited )

They’ll put him on trial for some bogus charges and throw him in jail. Just standard procedure.

massive_bereavement,
massive_bereavement avatar

Or just show him the view from an upper floor's window.

JoeKrogan,
@JoeKrogan@lemmy.world avatar

I’m sure the list of voters would be valuable to the current government. Its a list of those who oppose the status quo

dev_null,

Isn’t voting in Russia anonymous?

JoeKrogan,
@JoeKrogan@lemmy.world avatar

I was referring to the collection of signatures.

Audiotape,

Too bad he‘ll fall out of a window anytime soon

SonnyVabitch,

Having accidentally shot himself twice in the back of the head.

Mbourgon,

“He was shot twice in the back of the head with a double barrel shotgun - worst case of suicide the sheriff had ever see “ -can’t remember where I heard this.

DemBoSain,
@DemBoSain@midwest.social avatar

Gary Webb?? (journalist that wrote about Iran-Contra)

Mbourgon,

I’m thinking something something racism in Texas in the 80s/90s, but I found this too: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30669104/

Jeredin,

Into a barrel of plutonium…

ChicoSuave,

He fell on those bullets

gregorum,

Right after a “dose” of tea.

Wanderer,

What’s really hoping to get away from these “hilarious” jokes everything russia is mentioned in reddit.

Like fuck, come up with something new.

wahming,

I get it. It’s not that Putin’s good or anything, but these jokes are decades old now.

bigkahuna1986,

Nah man, this guy will only get like 32% of the vote and Putin will get 119%.

Taako_Tuesday,

Well with Navalny as precedent, it seems like they’ll throw him in a gulag rather than kill him

SonnyVabitch,

He didn’t learn from Navalny’s example. Clearly there has to be a stronger message to anyone who might come after this guy.

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