All news

Russian TV host Sobchak says ready to withdraw from election in favor of another candidate

Sobchak noted that she, Alexei Navalny, and Grigory Yavlinsky "have some common goals"
Ksenia Sobchak Sergei Konkov/TASS
Ksenia Sobchak
© Sergei Konkov/TASS

YEKATERINBURG, December 16. /TASS/. Russian TV journalist Ksenia Sobchak, who announced her intention to stand in the country’s presidential election, is ready to withdraw from the presidential race in case of a union with certain political forces, she told reporters on Saturday.

"I sincerely think it unjust that Alexei Navalny is excluded although I do not share all his views and I do not like everything he does. However, I globally believe that we have some common goals - both me, him [Navalny], Grigory Yavlinsky and other politicians," Sobchak said.

"I am ready to unite [with them]. I have already made some important statements and I am set to do this until my withdrawal," she added. "This leadership is alien to me. I think it important to do business."

On October 24, Ksenia Sobchak said she was running to be Russia’s president. Igor Malashenko, the founder of NTV channel and advisor in the 1996 electoral campaign of the late President Boris Yetsin, has headed her electoral campaign.

Russia will vote at the next presidential election in March 2018. On December 15, the Federation Council (upper house of parliament) officially declared March 18 as the date of election. After the Federation Council publishes its resolution to call the election (which is expected on Monday, December 18), the Central Election Commission will draft a timetable of the presidential election campaign on that day.

Among candidates who have said they will stand for election are current President Vladimir Putin, LDPR leader Vladimir Zhirinovsky, Yabloko party leader Grigory Yavlinsky, leader of the Communists of Russia party Maksim Suraikin, Presidential Ombudsman for Entrepreneurs’ Rights and Party of Growth leader Boris Titov, political scientist and Social Technology Center head Andrei Bogdanov, TV journalist Ksenia Sobchak, Women’s Dialogue party leader Yelena Semerikova, businessman Sergei Polonsky, singer and human rights activist Yekaterina Gordon and some public figures unknown to the public.