Russian elections are usually predictable and dull affairs. The outcome is known beforehand since the Kremlin handpicks all the candidates, has total control over the media and also rigs the votes. Despite this, there has been an unexpected flurry of activity in the run-up to the March 15-17 presidential election in Russia. In December, the Kremlin allowed Boris Nadezhdin, the only anti-war candidate, to take part in the first stage of the registration process for the upcoming election. Nadezhdin, who constantly appeared on Russian propaganda channels and never was seen as a serious threat to …
