MOSCOW, December 13 (Itar-Tass) — A Just Russia leader Sergei Mironov submitted documents to the Central Election Commission (CEC) to run for president at the March 4 polls.
The package of documents includes his consent to be nominated as a presidential candidates, biography data, a copy of his passport and copies of the education certificate and the certificate of current post.
CEC officials told Itar-Tass "they would check the documents within five days, whereupon the CEC will consider the registration of the candidate’s authorized representatives and a special election fund account.
Mironov became the second candidate to submit the presidential election documents to the CEC. The first was Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, leader of the ruling United Russia Party. He submitted his documents on December 7.
The registration of his authorized representatives took place on Sunday, December 11. The CEC permitted the opening of Putin’s election account on the same day.
Sergei Mironov, 58, was nominated presidential candidate by the A Just Russia Congress on December 10. The delegates to the Congress voted 232-5 for his candidacy. Former speaker of the Federation Council upper house of the Russian parliament Sergei Mironov led A Just Russia faction at the 5th State Duma.
Buoyed by success at the December 4 parliamentary election, Mironov is optimistic about his prospects to win the presidential race. He stated at his Party's Congress that he was "running in the election not for the sake of participation, but for the sake of winning."
"We have something to offer our citizens; the citizens should have a real alternative and a real choice," he stressed.
He reminded than when he was taking part in the presidential election in 2004, when Putin was not United Russia's leader and when A Just Russia had not yet been founded, "I did not have such a powerful and reliable team."
In case of his victory at the election, he promised to give the prime minister’s post to his associate Oksana Dmtriyeva, who was No 3 on the list at the parliamentary election.
The election headquarters will be led by people’s artist Rimma Markova, a long-standing supporter of A Just Russia, and an active participant in its 2011 parliamentary election campaign.
A Just Russia won 13.24 percent of votes at the December 4 election, a considerable improvement from the result four years ago. It will form the third largest faction at the State Duma.
Mironov has been A Just Russia leader since its establishment in October 2006.
He won 0.76 percent of votes at the presidential election in 2004.
Submitting documents to the CEC is a procedure stipulated by law. A presidential candidate can submit documents for official registration from December 14 to 18:00, Moscow time, on January 18, 2012. The CEC has ten days to accept the documents or substantiate its refusal to register. The law obligates the candidate to submit in person the statement about his or her consent to run for president, but other registration documents can be submitted by his authorized representatives.
On Tuesday, the Liberal Democratic Party will hold its Congress which is expected to nominate irreplaceable LDPR leader Vladimir Zhirinovsky a presidential candidate.
The Communist Party (KPRF) will hold its congress on December 17, and the Yabloko Part y- on December 18.
Meanwhile, Sergei Mironov said there will be a runoff election. "I'm convinced that we'll have a second round," he told reporters after submitting his documents on Tuesday.
"It's the beginning of a serious election campaign," he added. When asked about the chances of Mikhail Prokhorov to take part in the race, Mironov said "there is a good saying: 'Three is the magic number.' It will be his second training flight."