Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny submits his documents to be registered as a presidential candidate at the Central Election Commission in Moscow, Russia December 24, 2017. REUTERS/Tatyana Makeyeva
December 26, 2017
MOSCOW (Reuters) – Calls by Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny to boycott next year’s presidential elections need to be carefully studied to see whether they comply with the law, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Tuesday.
He also said the legitimacy of the elections would not be influenced by the absence of one would-be participant.
Navalny was barred on Monday from running in the March 18 election after officials ruled he was ineligible to take part due to a suspended prison sentence he says was trumped up.
(Reporting by Denis Pinchuk; writing by Katya Golubkova; editing by John Stonestreet)
