Russian Ruling Party "Supports Presidential Candidate Putin"... Movement to Nominate Gains Momentum

Possibility of Independent Candidacy Symbolizing 'Bipartisan Support'

Russian ruling party United Russia has decided to support President Vladimir Putin, who declared his candidacy for the presidential election next March, TASS news agency reported.

Andrey Turchak, Secretary General of United Russia, held the first meeting of the endorsement group to nominate President Putin as a presidential candidate on the 9th (local time) in Moscow, Russia.

At the meeting, he said, "We will play the most active role in (President Putin's) election campaign." He also stated that, together with the pro-Kremlin political organization All-Russia People's Front, they plan to carry out all preparations for Putin's candidacy, including collecting signatures, and will provide the party infrastructure composed of more than 3.5 million party members and supporters for the election campaign.

The endorsement group plans to hold a voter meeting to nominate President Putin as a candidate on the 16th at the Zaryadye Concert Hall in Moscow. Secretary General Turchak said, "United Russia is the president's party," and added, "I am confident that President Putin's victory in the March 17 election next year will be a victory for our united nation."

The local daily Kommersant, citing sources, reported that United Russia will announce the candidate it supports in next year's presidential election at the United Russia party congress held on the 17th at the VDNKh Exhibition Center, with President Putin in attendance.

Vladimir Putin, President of Russia [Image source=AP, Yonhap News]

The endorsement group for President Putin's candidacy includes figures from various fields such as Alexander Shokhin, Chairman of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs, singer Polina Gagarina, and chess player Sergey Karjakin, according to Russia's Kommersant.

At the 'Day of the Hero of the Fatherland' event held at the Kremlin on the 8th, Artum Zoga, commander of the Sparta Battalion of the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR), who requested President Putin to run in next year's presidential election, was also included in the endorsement group.

President Putin officially declared his candidacy for next year's presidential election by responding to Colonel Zoga's request with "I will run for the President of the Russian Federation." Currently, at VDNKh, the 'Russia' exhibition showcasing Russia's major achievements since President Putin took office is being held.

The organization of the endorsement group suggests the possibility that President Putin will run as an independent candidate in next year's election. In the 2018 presidential election, Putin was also endorsed as an independent candidate through a supporters' group. President Putin, who is seeking a fifth term next year, ran as the United Russia candidate only in the 2012 election. In 2000, 2004, and 2018, he ran as an independent candidate.

Russian election law stipulates that independent candidates must be nominated by an endorsement group consisting of at least 500 supporters. The endorsement group must register with the Central Election Commission and collect supporting signatures. Given the high likelihood of winning, President Putin's independent candidacy can emphasize the political symbolism of being the 'president of all people' elected with bipartisan support.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.