Russia on Monday officially registered incumbent Vladimir Putin as a contender for the March presidential election, which he is very certain to win.
The 71-year-old has led Russia since the turn of the century, winning four presidential elections and briefly serving as prime minister in a system where opposition is almost non-existent.
The Central Election Commission said it has registered Putin, who nominated himself, as well as right-wing firebrand and Putin supporter Leonid Slutsky, as candidates for the election.
The poll will take place across three days, from March 15 to 17, which Kremlin critics claim makes ensuring transparency more difficult.
Dmitry Peskov, Putin’s spokesperson, informed Russian media on Monday that the veteran leader will not participate in pre-election discussions.
Following a contentious constitutional revision in 2020, Putin might remain in power until at least 2036.
Rights groups claim that prior elections have been tainted by irregularities, and that impartial observers would be prevented from monitoring the vote.
While Putin is not expected to face any serious competition, liberal opponent Boris Nadezhdin has collected the necessary number of supporting signatures to be registered as a candidate.
However, it remains uncertain whether he will be permitted to run, and the Kremlin has stated that he is not a credible rival.