Russian Court Bans Former Journalist from 2024 Ballot

(AmericanProsperity.com) – The Supreme Court of Russia upheld on December 27 a decision to bar former TV reporter Yekaterina Duntsova, who opposes the invasion of Ukraine, from being part of the 2024 presidential election. In a Telegram post, the would-be presidential candidate said that members of Russia’s electoral commission voted to prohibit her candidacy. Different reports pointed out that the commission cited different “violations” in the papers Duntsova submitted in support of her presidential bid.

In her post, the former TV reporter said that the Supreme Court rejected her appeal. She pointed out she’s now planning to create a new political party for every Russian who is tired of President Vladimir Putin and wants freedom, peace, and “democracy.” Duntsova pointed out these ideas are currently “very attractive” for millions of Russians whose voices are not “being represented” by the Kremlin.

According to a Reuters report, Duntsova is aware she’s not a well-known figure outside Russia, and currently commands a core support base of thousands of voters, in a nation that has nearly 200 million people. She previously told the news agency she feels the Supreme Court’s decision was “unfair,” and noted that Putin has been making Russia “weaker” after invading Ukraine.

Putin, who has been in power either as a prime minister or president for over two decades and faces no serious competition, is expected to win the 2024 presidential by a landslide. A victory would allow him to rule for another six-year term, which would make him the longest-serving chief of state in Russia’s history since the rise of the Soviet Union.

Over the last few weeks, the Kremlin has published numerous opinion polls that show Putin with an approval rating of nearly 80 percent, and with respondents saying they support the invasion of Ukraine. However, some media outlets have said that the pollsters that conducted these surveys are controlled by the Kremlin and noted that Putin’s popularity has been decreasing since the war started.