DEADLINE PASSES FOR REGISTERING RUSSIAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES.

Friday, April 26, was the last day for the registration of candidates for next June’s presidential election. The Central Election Commission granted registration to pharmaceutical magnate Vladimir Bryntsalov (though officials continued to express doubts about the validity of some of the signatures submitted in support of his application) and Kemerovo Communist Aman Tuleev. Tuleev was the tenth candidate to be officially registered.

Registration was refused to Galina Starovoitova, the only woman hoping to take part in the contest, on the grounds that many of the signatures submitted by her supporters did not meet the electoral requirements. Starovoitova said she would appeal the decision to the Supreme Court (Russia’s highest court of appeal for civil and criminal cases not involving interpretation of the constitution). Other presidential hopefuls refused registration were Vladimir Podoprigor, Conservative party leader Lev Ubozhko, nationalist Yuri Vlasov, and businessman Vyacheslav Ushakov.

Zyuganov Ready to Meet with Rivals.