Скачать или смотреть Navalny supporters in St Petersburg vote to nominate him

(24 Dec 2017) Hundreds of supporters of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny on Sunday endorsed him for the presidency and prepared to file his nomination with election officials, putting pressure on the Kremlin to allow him to run.
Hundreds gathered in Saint Petersburg as well as in 19 other Russian cities to back his bid to run in March's presidential election.
Even though Russian law requires a candidate to submit an endorsement from just 500 people before he or she is allowed to collect the 1 million signatures required to get a place on the ballot paper, Navalny's supporters put a show of strength on Sunday.
Outdoors endorsement gatherings took place across the country, from Vladivostok to St. Petersburg itself.
President Vladimir Putin's most formidable foe in all his 18 years in power, Navalny is barred from running because of a criminal conviction that is largely viewed as political retribution.
He could run if he gets a special dispensation or if the conviction is cancelled.
Polling agencies show 80 percent support for Putin, which almost certainly guarantees him a win, but Navalny has managed to galvanise some of Russia's sleepiest regions with a yearlong grass-roots campaign.
Although election officials are expected to accept Navalny's filing on Sunday, it's highly unlikely that they will let him on the ballot.
Navalny said on Sunday he is confident he will win if he runs, and called on his supporters to boycott the vote if the authorities refuse to register him.

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