After Thursday’s unanimous approval by the Federation Council, the upper house of the Russian parliament, the presidential election will take place on March 17, 2024. This could likely see current President Vladimir Putin, aged 71, run for another term in office, although he has not officially announced his intent to do so yet. His popularity remains high in Russia, with an 82 percent approval rating according to global data platform, Statista, undeterred by a thwarted rebellion by mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin.
Putin, in office as president or prime minister since 1999, altered the country’s constitution in 2021 to let him run for two additional six-year presidential terms. This could potentially extend his reign until 2036. Despite few known contenders stepping up to challenge Putin, individuals such as pro-war blogger Igor Girkin, former lawmaker Boris Nadezhdin, and journalist and lawyer Yekaterina Duntsova have hinted they will enter the presidential race.
Imprisoned opposition leader Alexei Navalny has urged his followers to vote against Putin during the forthcoming elections. Putin is currently in the Middle East, where he is meeting with leaders of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Saudi Arabia for support from these significant oil producers. The presidential election comes amid a climate of global scrutiny with allegations of previous poll rigging, but Putin’s victory is generally anticipated.