Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has become the first Russian candidate registered for the presidential polls of March 4, 2012, ITAR-TASS reports.
Putin was introduced at an assembly of the United Russia on November 27. He presented documents to the CEC on December 7 personally. The CEC registered Putin's authorized representative for financial issues on December 11. The first stage of registration was on December 14.
The CEC needs 10 days for approval of registration. MPs are free from collecting 2 million voters' signatures. Leaders of the CPRF, Fair Russia and LDPR will undergo registration by the end of 2011 or in early January 2012.
Putin was president in May 2000 - May 2008. It will be the third presidential polls. Putin won the polls in March 2000 with 52.94% of vote, 71.31% in March 2004. Director Stanislav Govorukhin was heading his electoral headquarters in 2000.
10 people want to run for president this time. They include Sergey Mironov, introduced by Fair Russia on December 10, Vladimir Zhirinovsky, leader of the LDPR, Gennady Zyuganov, leader of the CPRF, Grigory Yavlinsky, leader of the Yabloko. There 5 independent candidates by December 18, including businessman Mikhail Prokhorov, Governor Of Irkutsk, Dmitry Mezentsev, and others. They need 2 million signatures. At least 50,000 signatures are needed at one region. The same concerns Yavlinsky.
Registration ends on January 18, 2012, at 6 pm. Names of candidates will be announced in January.
