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WORLD NEWSWednesday 27 December 2017
Kremlin: Russia election boycott campaign may be illegal
By NATALIYA VASILYEVA promptly put out a video Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who submitted endorsement papers necessary for his
Associated Press statement saying that the
MOSCOW (AP) — The ban shows “Putin is terribly registration as a presidential candidate, center, heads to attend a meeting in the Russia’s Central
Kremlin hinted Tuesday at scared and is afraid of run-
possible legal repercus- ning against me.” He called Election commission in Moscow, Russia, Monday, Dec. 25, 2017. Russian election officials have
sions for Russian opposition on supporters to stay away
leader Alexei Navalny over from the vote in protest. formally barred Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny from running for president.
his calls for a boycott of the Meanwhile, Putin’s backers
March presidential elec- convened Tuesday after-
tion. noon to formally nominate
President Vladimir Putin’s him for presidency after he
spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, announced that he will run
wouldn’t comment on the as an independent candi-
Election Commission’s de- date. Prominent lawmak-
cision to bar Navalny from ers, film actors, musicians
running but said the “calls and athletes gathered at a
for boycott ought to be Soviet-era exhibition hall to
carefully studied to see if endorse him. Putin did not
they are breaking the law.” attend because of other
As expected, Russia’s top engagements, Peskov said.
election body on Monday Putin, who has been in
formally barred Navalny power for 18 years and
from a presidential run. is expected to easily win
Navalny, an anti-corrup- another six-year term,
tion campaigner and Pu- has so far refrained from
tin’s most prominent rival, campaigning. Navalny,
(Evgeny Feldman/Navalny Campaign via AP)
meanwhile, has been ag- of Putin’s possible re-elec- Navalny rose to promi-
gressively seeking votes all tion. Russian law doesn’t nence in 2009 with investi-
year, reaching out to the specifically prohibit some- gations into official corrup-
most remote parts of the one from calling for an tion and became a protest
country. Peskov rejected election boycott, but au- leader when hundreds
suggestions that Navalny’s thorities last year blocked of thousands took to the
absence from the ballot access to several websites streets across Russia in 2011
could dent the legitimacy that did so. to protest electoral fraud.q
British navy escorts Russian warship near UK
LONDON (AP) — Britain’s sian vessels traveling near Russian fighters away.
Royal Navy has escorted U.K. waters. Officials said The incidents at sea follow
one of Russia’s warships that on Christmas Eve, a a difficult visit to Moscow
through the North Sea near navy vessel was used to es- by Foreign Secretary Boris
U.K. waters, officials said cort a Russian intelligence- Johnson just before Christ-
Tuesday, amid increasing gathering ship through mas. Johnson and Russian
tensions between the two the North Sea and English Foreign Minister Sergey Lav-
countries. Channel. rov disagreed on a number
The HMS St. Albans with 190 Defense Secretary Gavin of policy points, reflecting
sailors on board was used William said Britain wouldn’t increasing tensions be-
to escort the Russian Ad- tolerate aggression. tween Britain and Russia.
miral Gorshkov frigate on “Britain will never be intimi- Johnson accused Russia
Monday through what Brit- dated when it comes to of meddling in Britain’s in-
ish officials called “areas of protecting our country, our ternal affairs but said there
national interest” on Christ- people and our national in- were still areas in which the
mas Day. terests,” he said Tuesday. two countries could work
In addition, a Royal Navy There has also been an in- together. British officials
helicopter was used to crease in recent years of warned this month that
track other Russian vessels Russian fighter planes test- Russian ships may cut un-
in the area. ing NATO and British air dersea internet cables in a
The navy said there has defenses, leading to jets bid to disrupt communica-
been a recent surge in Rus- being scrambled to keep tions and commerce.q
