All news

Presidential candidate Sobchak says core of her political movement is shaped

The presidential candidate reiterated that 150,000 signatures had been collected in her favor
Presidential candidate Ksenia Sobchak Artyom Geodakyan/TASS
Presidential candidate Ksenia Sobchak
© Artyom Geodakyan/TASS

MOSCOW, February 20. /TASS/. TV host and journalist Ksenia Sobchak, nominated to run for Russia’s president by the Civil Initiative Party, has said the collection of signatures in her support has helped shape the core of her new political movement.

"We have shaped the core of our true allies, true activists in the regions who want a political future, who want changes. We will continue working with these people (who were collecting signatures), creating a broad political movement, whose form it is yet premature to discuss," Sobchak told a news conference at TASS on Tuesday. She pledged she will make every possible effort to see this movement created.

Sobchak said she dreams of life in politics. "Yes, of course I dream of committing myself to political activity," she said in reply to reporters’ queries about her plans.

The presidential candidate reiterated that 150,000 signatures had been collected in her favor, out of which 105,000 "clean and spotless" went to the Central Election Commission.

She also presented the main sponsors of her campaign who "have agreed to be identified". "We will not discuss who has invested what, as the process is still underway, donations keep coming, and full official reports will be issued later," the candidate said.

Among the sponsors of her campaign, she named the publisher of the American magazine Inc. in Russia, Vladimir Palikhata, director general of the logistics transport company ‘Onego Shipping’ Alexander Roslyakov, Yota Devices founder Sergey Adonyev. Other sponsors are co-owner of the network fitness clubs Sport Life Vadim Raskovalov and his wife Yana, former deputy director of the Federal Tax Police Service Anatoly Tsybulsky and publisher of Forbes in Russia Alexander Fedotov.

Sobchak said all information about donations to her election campaign will be made public by the Central Election Commission ‘in accordance with the law".

A total of eight people - one independent contender and seven candidates nominated by political parties - have been granted the right to stand in the election.

The candidates’ names will be listed on the ballot in Russian alphabetical order:

Baburin Sergei (Russian All-People’s Union)

Grudinin Pavel (Communist Party of Russia)

Zhirinovsky Vladimir (LDPR)

Putin Vladimir (independent)

Sobchak Ksenia (Civil Initiative)

Suraikin Maxim (Communists of Russia)

Titov Boris (Party of Growth).