Yavlinsky denied registration in presidential elections

The Russian Central Electoral Commission invalidated more than 20 percent of the signatures that Grigory Yavlinsky collected in support of his candidacy for the March 4 presidential election in the first check, RIA-Novosti reports. His total number of signatures is now below the two million required by law and his application for registration appears certain to be rejected.

The “main demand” at the planned opposition rally in Moscow on February 4 must be the registration of Russian liberal leader Grigory Yavlinsky as a presidential candidate, Vladimir Milov, an opposition leader, said on Monday.
The only independent presidential candidate whose submitted list of signatures was accepted as valid by the CEC was billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov. Candidates from political parties are not required to collect signatures. Registered presidential candidates from parties are the current prime minister and leader of the ruling United Russia, Vladimir Putin, A Just Russia leader Sergei Mironov, Communist leader Gennady Zyuganov and Liberal Democratic Party leader Vladimir Zhirinovsky.