The future of the Russian opposition after the death of Alexei Navalny

2024-03-16 18:18:27, Kosova & Bota CNA

In Russia, voting continues for the presidential elections, which are expected to extend the rule of President Vladimir Putin for another six years. The election is fictitious, as President Putin's political opponents are in prison, in exile, and his fiercest opponent, Alexei Navalny, died in prison. After his death, many questions were raised about the future of opposition action in Russia. Navalny's team says it will continue its efforts against the rule of the Russian President, while a strong test is expected to be the protest that will be held the next day, with the slogan "Noon against Putin".

After the demise of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who died suddenly last month in an Arctic prison, his team faces a challenge: Keeping the opposition movement against President Vladimir Putin alive under the former leader's example.

A key test is expected on Sunday, the last day Russians can vote in a presidential election widely seen as more of a formality than a vote for democracy.

Navalny's team is urging Russians to flock to the polls on Sunday at noon to show their displeasure with Putin's rule and the war he has waged against Ukraine.

The call for the protest under the motto "Noon against Putin" was made by Navalny's widow, Yulia Navalnaya.

Navalny's supporters have expressed different opinions about the opposition action.

"With the death of Navalny, it seems that everything was destroyed. Although his wife, Julia, took over his share, I don't think it will be the same as in Alexei's time. For this reason, I doubt that it will get better in Russia", says Valery, a resident of Moscow.

"The fact that so many people showed up at his funeral was unexpected for me, because I thought everything had died in Russia. But when I saw the participation, so many people, I realized that I didn't know everything", says Maria, a resident of Moscow.

Just days after her husband's death, Mrs. Navalnaya expressed her determination to continue his mission.

Last month, she spoke at the European Parliament, met with US President Joe Biden and urged Western countries not to recognize the results of the Russian election. She has also called on the West to impose more sanctions on people close to the Russian president.

"Navalny himself avoided trying to build relations with Western governments because he thought this was a battle that had to be won in Russia. And I think he was a little worried that this would be a stain on the opposition, it might make it look like a Western project. In the current situation, I think people will evaluate whether this principle should continue to be followed or not," says Sam Greene, director at the Center for European Policy Analysis.

Before the election, Navalny's team called on supporters to vote for any candidate other than Putin, or have their ballots invalidated. Experts say that Sunday's protest will be a test of the influence that opposition parties abroad can have in Russia.

"There are questions for which the Russian opposition is trying to find the answers. One of them is: What can actually be done in Russia? We can get some answers from election day participation. We will see if there will be an escalation and how the regime will react to the protest. I think they are trying to send a message to people in Russia that they are not alone, that the opposition in exile will support them. But the next question is how are they going to support the people there?" says Sam Greene, director at the Center for European Policy Analysis.

Russia's independent election monitoring group Golos reported that officials in at least one region are being instructed to report large gatherings near polling stations to the police.

The prosecutor's office in Moscow warned on Thursday night that unauthorized gatherings near polling stations "that may prevent citizens from freely exercising their right to vote and the work of election commissions" are a criminal offense punishable by up to five years in prison.

Even though they are in exile, Putin's opponents are extremely dangerous./ VOA