Yekaterina Duntsova Explained

Yekaterina Duntsova
Office:Member of the Rzhev City Duma
Term Start:2019
Term End:2022
Birth Date:24 April 1983
Birth Place:Krasnoyarsk, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union
Children:3
Party:Dawn
Alma Mater:Tver State University
Native Name Lang:ru

Yekaterina Sergeyevna Duntsova (Russian: Екатерина Сергеевна Дунцова; born 24 April 1983) is a Russian politician and journalist. She began her career as a journalist and was a member of the city duma of Rzhev from 2019 to 2022.

On 6 November 2023, Duntsova announced her intention to run for the presidency of Russia in the 2024 election; she said she would run as an independent candidate on an anti-war platform.[1] [2] The next month, her nomination documents were rejected by the Central Election Commission.

Early life

Duntsova was born in Krasnoyarsk.[3] In 1995, she had moved to Rzhev, Tver Oblast, where she graduated from high school.

Journalism career

Duntsova began her career in 2003, when she worked for a year at the Rzhev municipal television company, then for several years she was the head of a school television studio.

She also ran independent television company RiT, a project she and her husband started. Her television company covered problems on the municipal level, namely housing and communal services, lawlessness of officials and crime.[4]

Political career

As a local politician

In 2009, Duntsova gathered more than 4,000 signatures against the abolition of elections of the mayor of Rzhev.[5]

From 2019 to 2022, she was a member of the Rzhev City Duma.[6]

Presidential campaign

See main article: 2024 Russian presidential election. In November 2023, Duntsova announced her intention to run for President of Russia as an independent candidate, using the slogan "Вернём стране будущее!" ("We'll bring back the country's future!").[7] On the same day, she announced the collection of signatures, needing 500 for the first step in the process.

Duntsova explained her intention to run for president by saying that "Russia has been moving in the wrong direction for the last ten years: the course is not aimed at development, but at self-destruction."[8] Duntsova's platform stood for ending the war with Ukraine, initiating democratic reforms, releasing political prisoners including Alexei Navalny, restoring relations with other countries, changing budget priorities, and supporting minorities, including LGBT people.[9] [10] [11] [12] [13]

On 20 November 2023, Duntsova was summoned to the prosecutor's office. Amongst other topics, they reportedly demanded that she explain her position on the Russo-Ukrainian war. Duntsova later told the media that she refused to answers the officials' questions relating to the war, other than to say that she is in compliance with all relevant laws.[14] [15] [16]

Having collected the necessary 500 signatures to form a support group, on 17 December 2023, the group held an official meeting to nominate her.[17] [18] During the meeting, the electricity was turned off and police entered the building, although it was eventually turned back on and there were no further incidents. Duntsova was therefore nominated as planned, and now needed a total of 300,000 signatures by January 31, 2024, to be placed on the ballot.[19] [20] [21] On December 20, Duntsova submitted her application to the Central Election Commission (CEC) to be included on the ballot.[22]

On 23 December 2023, the Central Election Commission (CEC) blocked her from running on the ballot after rejecting her nomination documents; the CEC said that it found more than 100 misprints in her documents.[23] [24] [25] [26] In particular, the CEC published scans of documents submitted by Duntsova, which show typos in the names of members of the initiatory group and informal comments in the text of the documents. Also, some members of the initiative group signed with the word "yes", "apple" or used a drawing of a cat as a signature. In addition, the minutes of the meeting of the initiative group did not reflect information about the election and composition of the counting group.[27]

This decision was promptly criticized as politically motivated.[28] Leonid Gozman pointed out, that the "cowardly" taken decision had not been based on fears of her being elected, but for the sudden possibility for citizens, to restore "a forgotten sense of citizenship" by collecting the necessary signatures.[29]

Duntsova said that she planned to appeal the decision in court, although she did not dismiss claims that there had been errors in the filed paperwork, saying the application had been put together on short notice and she had difficulty finding a lawyer to assist her in certifying the paperwork. She also said that she intended to ask the Yabloko party to nominate her as a candidate.[23] Later that day, Yabloko party leader Grigory Yavlinsky said in an interview that he was unsure if the party would consider Duntsova's nomination.

On 27 December, Russia’s Supreme Court rejected Duntsova’s appeal.[30]

Post-election

On 31 May 2024, Dunstsova was declared a "foreign agent" by Russian authorities.[31]

Personal life

Duntsova has three children. A November 2023 article in ЭХО (Echo) described her as separated from her former husband as of two years previously.[3]

She coordinates the work of a volunteer search and rescue team in Rzhev.[32]

Notes and References

  1. News: Faulconbridge . Guy . 2023-11-27 . In Russia, war and fear trouble one presidential hopeful . en . Reuters . 2023-11-30.
  2. Web site: Latypova . Leyla . 2023-11-22 . Meet Putin's Possible Election Opponent: A Single Mother of 3 Calling for Peace . 2023-11-30 . The Moscow Times . en.
  3. Web site: 2023-11-28 . Портрет дня: Екатерина Дунцова — решившая выдвинуться кандидатом в президенты России журналистка из Ржева . Portrait of the day: Ekaterina Duntsova, a journalist from Rzhev who decided to run as a candidate for the presidency of Russia . 2023-11-30 . ЭХО . ru.
  4. Web site: Журналистка из Ржева заявила, что выставит свою кандидатуру на выборах президента России. Ее вызвали в прокуратуру . A journalist from Rzhev announced that she would stand as a candidate in the presidential elections in Russia. She was summoned to the prosecutor's office . 2023-11-30 . Meduza . ru.
  5. Web site: Kozlowska . Joanna . 2023-12-11 . Russian presidential hopeful vows to champion peace, women and a 'humane' country . 2023-12-24 . Connecticut Post . en-US.
  6. Web site: 2023-12-17 . Мать троих детей, юрист и журналист. Кто такая Екатерина Дунцова, которая идет самовыдвиженцем на выборы 2024 года . Mother of three children, lawyer and journalist. Who is Ekaterina Duntsova, who is running as a self-nominated candidate for the 2024 elections . 2023-12-17 . e1.ru - новости Екатеринбурга . ru.
  7. Web site: 40-year-old single mother aims to beat Putin in Presidential race . 2023-11-30 . www.dagens.com . en.
  8. Web site: Russie : qui est Ekaterina Duntsova, la 'madame tout-le-monde' qui veut défier Vladimir Poutine lors de l'élection présidentielle ? . Russia: who is Ekaterina Duntsova, the 'everyday lady' who wants to challenge Vladimir Putin in the presidential election? . 2023-12-17 . RTBF . fr.
  9. Web site: Times . The Moscow . 2023-11-30 . Russian Presidential Hopeful Condemns 'Extremist' Designation of LGBT Community . 2023-11-30 . The Moscow Times . en.
  10. Web site: Shields . Alan . 2023-11-24 . Russian mum-of-three launches anti-war campaign to oust Putin . 2023-11-30 . Metro . en.
  11. Web site: Kozlowska . Joanna . 2023-12-11 . Russian presidential hopeful vows to champion peace, women and a 'humane' country . 2023-12-17 . AP News . en.
  12. Web site: 2023-12-15 . The Candidate. Who is the provincial journalist and mother of three planning to run for president? . 2023-12-17 . Novaya Gazeta Europe.
  13. Web site: Delaunay . Jean . 2023-12-11 . Le candidat à la présidentielle russe s'engage à défendre la paix, les femmes et un pays « humain » . Russian presidential candidate pledges to defend peace, women and a 'humane' country . 2023-12-17 . L'Observatoire de l'Europe . fr-FR.
  14. Web site: 2023-11-21 . Журналистку из Ржева, решившую выдвинуть свою кандидатуру на выборы президента, вызвали в прокуратуру . A journalist from Rzhev, who decided to nominate her candidacy for the presidential election, was summoned to the prosecutor's office . 2023-11-30 . Настоящее Время . ru.
  15. Web site: Post . Kyiv . Russian Woman Declares Presidential Candidacy – Then is Called for Questioning . 2023-11-30 . Get the Latest Ukraine News Today - KyivPost . en.
  16. Web site: Russian Prosecutors Summon Local Politician Planning Presidential Run . 2023-11-30 . BARRON'S . en-US.
  17. Web site: 2023-12-17 . На выборы президента выдвинулась Екатерина Дунцова — журналист и мать троих детей . Ekaterina Duntsova nominated for the presidential election - journalist and mother of three children . 2023-12-17 . 76.ru - новости Ярославля . ru.
  18. Web site: В Москве проходит собрание инициативной группы в поддержку выдвижения в президенты Екатерины Дунцовой . A meeting of the initiative group in support of the presidential nomination of Ekaterina Duntsova is being held in Moscow . 2023-12-17 . semnasem.org . ru.
  19. News: 2023-12-17 . На собрание к сопернице Путина наведалась полиция . The police visited the meeting of Putin's rival . news.ru .
  20. Web site: 2023-12-17 . Russia's ruling party backs Putin's reelection bid while a pro-peace candidate clears first hurdle . 2023-12-17 . AP News . en.
  21. Web site: Инициативная группа поддержала выдвижение журналистки Екатерины Дунцовой кандидатом на выборы президента РФ. За собранием наблюдала полиция . The initiative group supported the nomination of journalist Ekaterina Duntsova as a candidate for the presidential elections in the Russian Federation. The meeting was monitored by the police . 2023-12-17 . Meduza . ru.
  22. News: 20 December 2023 . Anti-war candidate Duntsova applies to run in election against Russia's Putin . Reuters . 23 December 2023.
  23. Web site: The Moscow Times . Pro-Peace Putin Challenger Blocked From Ballot . themoscowtimes.com . en . 23 December 2023 . 23 December 2023 .
  24. Web site: 2023-12-23 . A pro-peace Russian presidential hopeful is blocked by the election commission . 2023-12-23 . AP News . en.
  25. Web site: ЦИК не допустил Екатерину Дунцову до президентских выборов в России . The Central Election Commission did not allow Ekaterina Duntsova to participate in the presidential elections in Russia . forbes.ru . ru . 23 December 2023 . 24 December 2023 .
  26. Web site: ЦИК отказал в регистрации инициативной группы самовыдвиженца Дунцовой . The Central Election Commission refused to register the initiative group of self-nominated Duntsova . kommersant.ru . ru . 23 December 2023 . 24 December 2023 .
  27. Web site: A telegram post with scans of Duntsova's documents . t.me . ru . 23 December 2023 . 24 December 2023 .
  28. News: 2023-12-23 . Yekaterina Duntsova barred from running against Putin in election . en . Reuters . 2023-12-23 .
  29. Web site: Похищение Дунцовой ЦИКом. Единственный независимый кандидат в президенты остановлен на дальних подступах к Путину . Kidnapping (Abduction?) of Duntsova by the Central Election Commission. The only independent presidential candidate was stopped at the distant approaches to Putin . Новая газета Европа (novayagazeta.eu) . 24 December 2023 . 23 December 2023.
  30. Web site: Russian presidential hopeful loses appeal against authorities' refusal to register her for the race . AP News . 28 December 2023 . en . 27 December 2023.
  31. Web site: Russia declares a former presidential hopeful and others as 'foreign agents' as it presses crackdown . AP News . 1 June 2024 . en . 1 June 2024.
  32. Web site: Журналистку из Ржева, объявившую о планах выдвинуть свою кандидатуру на выборы президента, вызвали в прокуратуру и спрашивали о войне . A journalist from Rzhev, who announced plans to nominate her candidacy for the presidential election, was summoned to the prosecutor's office and asked about the war . 2023-11-30 . Медиазона . ru.

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