Thousands of people across Russia are signing petitions to support the longshot candidacy of Boris Nadezhdin.

Boris Nadezhdin seeks to run in the March 17 presidential election in Russia. The question now is whether authorities will allow him on the ballot.

The stocky, bespectacled 60-year-old local legislator and academic has struck a chord with the public, openly calling for a halt to the conflict in Ukraine, the end of mobilizing Russian men for the military, and starting a dialogue with the West. He also has criticized the country’s repression of LGBTQ+ activism.

  • HipsterTenZero@dormi.zoneEnglish
    56·
    8 months ago

    Yeah there we go. I’ve never heard of this guy before, but the description doesn’t paint him to be just another a lesser evil at least. I hope this guy gains momentum.

  • JJROKCZ@lemmy.worldEnglish
    43·
    8 months ago

    I’m not going to take the easy route and make window or tea jokes like every other time Russians are mentioned on this site…

    I hope he gets on the ballet and at least gets the populace to consider an alternative. He needs to be kept under constant guard and be very careful the rest of his days for openly opposing the oligarchs or they’ll end his campaign.

    I don’t think his odds are good, but i hope one day we’ll see a world with a truly democratic russia sitting at the table and truly wanting peace

    • Syndic@feddit.deEnglish
      17·
      8 months ago

      Even if he ends up on the ballot, there’s no way in hell that he will get fair elections and does have any chance of ousting Putin. Putin has killed a lot of Russians to get into the positions he’s currently in to give it up now.

  • admiralteal@kbin.social
    38·
    8 months ago

    Places your bets, which is it:

    • He isn’t a credible ‘threat’ to Putin, and the state media is letting him get away with some visibility so that he can be crushed in the definitely-not-completely-fake polls in order to preserve the democracy kayfabe. Possibly to achieve a domestic policy goal like getting out of the Ukraine war without losing as much face for Putin.

    • He is a credible threat and will be dealt with brutally and violently.

    • He is a sockpuppet. Either of Putin or the next generation of Russian leaders who, in proud Soviet tradition, are going to honor and glorify Putin in his retirement then quietly delete and replace his history and influence with their own.

    • circuscritic@lemmy.caEnglish
      14·
      8 months ago

      This is controlled opposition and it’s critical for the Putin regime.

      Controlled opposition doesn’t require direct collusion, but it doesn’t preclude it either. It just means he’s useful for Putin maintaining democratic legitimacy or even just the illusion of it.

      Regardless, if he was an actual threat to Putin, he wouldn’t be allowed to remain in any elected office.

      I’m fairly confident in this assessment. However, if he’s found in motel with a dead hooker and a live boy, or falls out a window, feel free to call me out and rub my noise in it.

    • Flughoernchen@feddit.deEnglish
      3·
      8 months ago

      I bet on the first option. It’s maybe a way of convincing the people that all those topics were opinions of the minority. The protests and therefore resistance might quiet down if enough people think that the average citizen would support the war and Putin in general.

  • MrMakabar@feddit.deEnglish
    24·
    8 months ago

    If somebody like him actually runs, it will only happen to gauge public support for peace. He is never going to win, but if he should have won Putin might try to go for a peace deal in Ukraine.

  • Burn_The_Right@lemmy.worldEnglish
    11·
    8 months ago

    Boris Nadezhdin is a hero. I am deeply saddened by what is about to happen to him.

    Conservative governments do not tolerate challengers.

  • SitD@feddit.deEnglish
    9·
    8 months ago

    I’m hopeless about this situation either way. i wish the Russian government would once more become a beacon of technology and stand in its own feet instead of trying to find a future in invading other countries. the current path is a path into the medieval times and the result is not wealth. I’m not even pro capitalism, but this is plain unintelligent and wasteful.

  • no banana@lemmy.worldEnglish
    7·
    8 months ago

    This man is controlled opposition, but it might be controlled opposition that has gone a bit too far for the Kremlin. We’ll see.

  • Sibbo@sopuli.xyzEnglish
    6·
    8 months ago

    A tiny candle in the dark, but it may be blown out any time by the storm that is ravaging this country right now.