As of: March 17, 2024, 8:59 a.m
By: Florian Naumann
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Putin celebrates his election victory in advance.
Repression and suspected manipulation are the reason for this.
The only uncertainty: who will come in second?
Moscow - The outcome of the Russian election seems more than certain - not least in view of repression and alleged election manipulation: Vladimir Putin will have a landslide victory declared on Sunday evening (March 17).
The Kremlin had already taken the last more or less credible opponent, Boris Nadezhdin, out of the race early.
Given this initial situation, there is probably only a meager uncertainty left: Will the most critical applicant in the field of candidates come second?
Observers believe it is not out of the question that Vladislav Davankov will win this consolation prize.
Although the communists usually always finish behind Putin.
Davankov cautiously criticized Putin's war in Ukraine: "The maximum that can be said in Russia"
Davankov is not a radical challenger.
Unlike Alexei Navalny, who has since died in a Siberian prison camp, he never declared Putin his opponent.
As deputy chairman of the State Duma, he could hardly afford to do that anyway.
Dawankow also presented his criticism of the content at best tentatively and in the most cautious words.
But it was certainly audible, as the (Western) European project
Russian Election Monitor
compiled in a dossier on the candidate in quote form.
For example, the 40-year-old said about the war in Ukraine that his position was: “Peace and negotiations.”
However, Dawankov put this drastic statement into perspective by Russian standards.
“Based on our measurements and not in a rollback.”
No chance against the man at the desk: Vladislav Dawankov is running against Vladimir Putin in the Russian election.
© Montage: Imago/dpa/picture-alliance/Zuma Wire/Andre Ballin
Dawankov gave another sample in his election program about a month before the Russian election.
“Like all of us, I dream of a great and peaceful Russia.
But for me, greatness is achieved when a country is not only feared for its military power, but also respected for its breakthroughs in the fields of science and technology, sports and culture.”
A critical part of a sentence always seemed to be followed by a continuation that shifted the position back into the Kremlin's borders.
Expert Alexander Kynev said on Telegram that Davankov's campaign reflected "the maximum of what can be said in today's Russia." Maxim Katz, a former but later disgraced confidant of Navalny, said that Davankov was the most suitable candidate for anyone looking for the Russian Federation Select “everyone except Putin”.
Pointing fingers against the Ukraine war?
Putin's opponent Dawankov can hope for second place
Dawankov is considered “liberal” – he is a member of the “New People” party, which was founded in 2020.
On the weekend of the Russia election, the
Süddeutsche
dubbed him an “emergency nail for Putin’s opponents” .
In fact, it could primarily appeal to those (courageous) Russians who, in their thousands, lined up to sign the petition for Nadezhdin, which was stopped by Putin's administration.
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The Russian newspaper
Kommersant
reported in February that Davankov did not rule out collaboration with Nadezhdin.
The candidate himself did not deny this at the time - and made another small point against Putin's regime: Davankov explained that he regretted that Nadezhdin had not been registered.
And added: “I have said more than once that I am in favor of a political competition in which everyone can represent their position.”
Political advisor Yevgeny Minchenko said Davankov had a good chance of coming in second, as
Russian Election Monitor
noted.
The polls for Russia's presidential election at least do not directly contradict this: the state institute WCIOM recently saw Dawankov at 5 percent - that would actually be second place.
At the CIPKR Institute, the “New People” candidate was in third place;
behind the communist Nikolai Charitonov, but ahead of the nationalist Leonid Slutsky.
The Süddeutsche
speculated that Dawankov's placement as Putin's worst persecutor - albeit with the deficit that was to be expected given the election situation - could be interpreted as a tiny hint against the war in Ukraine
.
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