Russia's presidential election kicked off on Friday with polling stations opening in the Kamchatka Peninsula region at 8 am local time. Spanning 11 time zones, the election is scheduled to end in the Kaliningrad enclave on Sunday at 8 pm. Current President Vladimir Putin has held continuous positions as either President or Prime Minister of Russia since 1999, serving as prime minister from 1999 to 2000 and from 2008 to 2012, and as president from 2000 to 2008 and since 2012.
He is expected to secure another six-year term and is facing limited opposition in the race.
Leaders up against Vladimir Putin in Russia's election
Leonid Slutsky from the LDPR
Leonid Eduardovich Slutsky, born on January 4, 1968, is a prominent Russian politician leading the ultranationalist LDPR (Liberal Democratic Party of Russia) party since 2022. He holds the position of Chairman of the State Duma Committee on International Affairs and has been serving in the State Duma since 1999. Mr Slutsky's political career has been marked by significant events, including his representation of Russia during peace negotiations with Ukraine after the Russian invasion in 2022 and announced his candidacy for the 2024 Russian presidential election the following year.
Mr Slutsky has been involved in a lot of controversies, including his involvement in a sexual assault scandal in parliament in 2018. In 2014, he was sanctioned by President Obama, following the Crimean status referendum, prohibiting him from entering the US and freezing his assets there. Mr Slutsky has also faced sanctions from Canada and Europe over his involvement in the Crimean crisis.
Vladislav Davankov from the New People's Party
Vladislav Andreyevich Davankov has served as Deputy Chair in the Russian State Duma since 2021. He represents the New People Party, which is known for its liberal stance. Mr Davankov is running as a candidate in the 2024 Russian presidential election. Mr Davankov advocates for peace in Ukraine and against unnecessary censorship. He is described as the "most liberal candidate" and a potential alternative to Mr Putin, although he has also taken conservative positions, against sex change trasnitions in people and cheap migrant labour.
Nikolai Kharitonov from the Communist Party
Nikolay Mikhailovich Kharitonov is a Russian communist politician. He has been a member of the State Duma since 1994 and currently chairs the Committee on the Development of Far Eastern and Arctic regions. Mr Kharitonov is best known for his 2004 presidential bid, where he finished second to Vladimir Putin. He is running for president again in the 2024 election, marking a significant rematch.
