Russia Bans Embezzler Alexey Navalny’s Presidential Bid
by Stephen Lendman
He’s a Western darling, a phony anti-corruption activist, a convicted embezzler, a self-serving opportunist - enjoying little popular backing.
He’s gotten anti-democratic National Endowment for Democracy (NED) financial support for disruptive activities.
He’s more politically dead than alive, supported by Washington as part of its Russia bashing and hostility toward Vladimir Putin.
He’s barred from running for president next March because of his embezzlement conviction. It hardly matters. Putin’s popularity overwhelms all presidential contenders.
He’ll win easily by a landslide. The vast majority of Russians want him leading them for the next six years.
Navalny’s presidential bid was a publicity stunt, nothing else. Even if allowed to run, he’d get scant support.
According to Russian law, convicted felons can’t run for president until 10 years after their sentence expires or is officially recognized as served.
Navalny is currently serving a five-year suspended sentence since 2013. Russia’s Central Elections Commission head Ella Pamfilova said the law will be upheld. He’s banned from running for president in 2018.
Following the decision, he roared, “(d)efinitely, unconditionally we will appeal this decision in a court. In the Constitutional Court and everywhere in the world where it is possible.”
If he follows through, it’ll be grandstanding for Western headlines alone. He’s a political nobody.
He got a Christmas day NYT headlined story, quoting him absurdly saying “(w)e won’t have an election because Vladimir Putin is horribly afraid, he sees a threat in competing with me,” adding:
“He gave an instruction to his servants from the Central Electoral Commission to reject my registration.”
“We will campaign against this fake election and persuade people not to take part in it.”
His whining, moaning and posturing appeal only to anti-Putin Western officials and media.
The Times quoted pro-Western political commentator Sergei Medvedev turning truth on its head, claiming “(t)he process of the system’s de-legitimation continues.”
Russian elections mock America’s money-controlled sham process. Dirty business as usual wins every time.
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