Russian anti-war candidate blocked from facing Putin in presidential election

On February 23rd, Russian authorities blocked the anti-war candidate Ksenia Sobchak from running in the upcoming presidential election against Vladimir Putin. Sobchak, a socialite, TV anchor, and journalist, would have been the first independent candidate to run against Putin in the 18-year rule of the incumbent president. According to the Central Election Commission (CEC), Sobchak exposed “to a false or distorted assertion regarding her place of residence,” when she attempted to register for the race. The allegation was in reference to a supposedly falsified address Sobchak provided the CEC. Sobchak denies the allegation and has characterized it as an effort to prevent her from challenging Putin in the election. Three other independent candidates have been allowed to run, although they are widely seen as non-threatening to Putin’s re-election. The Russian presidential election is scheduled to take place in March 2018.