Putin announces run for Russian President in 2024

The Russian leader made the statement during an intimate conversation with soldiers participating in the ceremony to award the Gold Star medal to Heroes of Russia for their achievements in combat in a special military operation.

Russian President Vladimir Putin at a ceremony to award medals to soldiers participating in a special military operation. (Photo: RIA Novosti)

When asked by Artyom Zhoga - one of the leaders of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic - whether the Russian leader would run for re-election next year, Mr. Putin answered yes.

According to a poll released by the Public Opinion Organization (FOM) on December 7, about 70% of Russian citizens believe that Mr. Putin should run for another term, with another 15% saying that the incumbent should leave his current post and take another senior government position. Only 8% think that the Russian leader should not run for re-election.

He is currently serving his fourth term after winning the most recent election in 2018 with a landslide victory of more than 76% of the vote.

Potential contenders to challenge Mr Putin now include Gennady Zyuganov, the longtime leader of the Russian Communist Party, who announced his candidacy in late November but noted that the final decision would be made by the Communist Party’s Central Committee. Other Russian political parties, including the Liberal Democratic Party (LDPR) and New People’s Party, have also signaled that they intend to field their own candidates.

Earlier, the Russian Central Election Commission (CEC) officially approved a three-day voting period for the 2024 presidential election. Polling stations will open from early morning on March 15, 2024 until late on March 17, 2024.

This is the first time a Russian presidential election will last so many days, according to the CEC. However, three-day voting has been used in other elections in Russia, and was first introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The new voting mechanism has proven popular with voters and is gradually becoming a tradition, according to CEC Director Ella Pamfilova. She also argued that the extended voting hours will help avoid delays and ease the strain on regional election commissions.

The CEC also announced that all pre-election media campaigns will take place from February 17, 2024 until the election takes place.

Speaker Valentina Matvienko described the upcoming vote as “historic” and crucial for Russia in the face of today's challenges.

Tra Khanh (Source: russian.rt.com)

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