12/27/2017 Putin critic calls for Russian election protests - CNN

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Putin critic calls for Russian election protests
By Eliott C. McLaughlin, CNN, and Darya Tarasova
 Updated 2:15 PM ET, Wed December 27, 2017

(CNN) — He's already called for a boycott of Russia's elections

Story highlights in March. Now opposition activist Alexey Navalny is asking his
supporters to "agitate with all our might" during nationwide
NEW: Foreign Ministry accuses US of "direct protests next month.
interference" in Russian a airs Navalny this week was barred from challenging incumbent
Vladimir Putin for the country's presidency because of an
Alexey Navalny was barred this week from embezzlement conviction that he and his supporters contend is
running for president of Russia politically motivated.

In addition to blasting the Central Election Commission's

decision to reject his registration, Navalny said the body's
approval of other opposition candidates amounts to little more than a rubber stamp from Putin.

"The procedure in which we are invited to participate is not an election," he said earlier this week. "It involves only
Putin and those candidates whom he personally chose, who do not pose a slightest threat to him."

US State Department spokesman Noel Clay told Russian state-run media that the United States was concerned by
the CEC's decision to keep Navalny o the ballot, prompting Russia's Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria
Zakharova to issue a statement saying the Americans were meddling in Russian a airs.

"This statement by the Department of State, which will surely not be the only one, is a direct interference both in
the election process and in the internal a airs of our state," she wrote.

The US State Department has previously labeled charges against Navalny as examples of "political violence" in
Russia, alleging they were pursued only as a result of Navalny's activism.

''We want competitive elections'

In a fiery blog post Wednesday, Navalny continued his attack
on Putin and the CEC, calling for voters across the country to
protest January 28 in support of the March 18 election
boycott he is championing.

 "We do not want to wait another six years. We want

competitive elections right now," he wrote. "Going to the polls
now is to solve Putin's problems -- help him turn reassignment
  into a kind of election. There is not the slightest point in this."

The exception, he said, would be voters looking to cast a

ballot for the liberal Russian United Democratic, or Yabloko,
Party, founded by economist and free-market advocate
Related Video: June 2017: Navalny Grigory Yavlinsky, who has unsuccessfully run twice for the
country's presidency. The Yabloko Party needs 3% of the vote
confronts Kremlin 07:57 to get state financing, according to Navalny, so "if you are
interested to assist in this, go ahead and vote."

Navalny called on other voters to stay away from polling

stations, to protest next month and to "organize an observation to prevent them from fabricating a turnout."
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12/27/2017 Putin critic calls for Russian election protests - CNN

His campaign is already filing applications for marches and rallies "so that not one of the o cials would say to us
afterwards, 'Oh, the square is occupied with a belly dance competition,'" Navalny wrote.

During Navalny's pre-campaign tour, the activist's supporters arrived to find other events being held at his rally
sites, including a belly-dancing competition in Samara. Navalny later complained on his blog that the belly dance
music drowned out his event.

Putin: Balance impossible without competition

Russian opposition rallies on Putin's birthday 02:12

The election commission rejected Navalny's registration the day after he submitted it and held nomination
gatherings to kick o his campaign, according to state-run media outlet RIA-Novosti.

"A citizen who has been sentenced to imprisonment for committing a grave or especially grave crime, and who has
an outstanding conviction for the said crime, has no right to be elected president of the Russian Federation," said
CEC member Boris Ebzeev.

The decision was not a surprise. Navalny's candidacy was unlikely because Russian law prevents convicted
 criminals from running for public o ce. Navalny will appeal the commission's decision, campaign press secretary
Ruslan Shaveddinov said Monday.

Putin, who has served as either Russia's prime minister or president since 1999, announced his intention to seek
re-election -- his fourth presidential bid -- as an independent candidate during his annual press conference this
month.

He said his aim was for Russia to have a "competitive" and "balanced" political system, but that it isn't his
responsibility to create political opponents.

"I want this," Putin said, "and I will strive for a balanced political system, and that is impossible without competition
in the political field."
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12/27/2017 Putin critic calls for Russian election protests - CNN

But Putin also said that most of the current opposition figures
were more focused on "making noise" than on a genuine
agenda that could benefit the country.

Navalny first rose to prominence during 2011's large-scale

 anti-government protests. He is popular among young people

and has tapped into anger over a sluggish economy and
endemic corruption, which could be a factor in the election.

Ksenia Sobchak, a Russian socialite and reality TV star who

has said she wants to challenge Putin, could o er a liberal
alternative if Navalny can't run. But most observers say it's
highly unlikely that anyone can meaningfully challenge Putin,
Related Video: Meet the Russian who enjoys widespread support and an election system that
is tilted in his favor.
socialite running for president 10:29
CNN's Dakin Andone and Pamela Boyko contributed to
this report.

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