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Russian Liberal Stands Down

Opposition candidate accuses Kremlin of turning presidential contest into 'farce'

By Rob Quinn,  Newser Staff

Posted Dec 27, 2007 8:30 AM CST

(Newser) – Another candidate has dropped out of the race for the Russian presidency, complaining of dirty tricks, the Washington Post reports. Boris Nemtsov, leader of a mainstream liberal party, said the uneven playing field was turning the contest into a farce. He accused the Kremlin of using "Goebbels-like propaganda, force and bureaucratic pressures" against rivals.

The Putin-backed candidate, Dmitry Medvedev, is the overwhelming favorite to win the March election. Popular chess champ Garry Kasparov dropped out of the running earlier this month. Nemtsov called for the opposition to unite behind one candidate, and to consider dropping out entirely if the Kremlin didn't meet demands for equal access to state media and an end to secret service interference.

Boris Nemtsov speaks at a Congress of the Union of Right Forces in Moscow on Friday, Sept. 21, 2007. Nemtsov was to be a candidate in the March presidential elections, but has now dropped out complaining of the Kremlin's behaviour. He has called for the opposition to unite behind a...
Boris Nemtsov speaks at a Congress of the Union of Right Forces in Moscow on Friday, Sept. 21, 2007. Nemtsov was to be a candidate in the March presidential elections, but has now dropped out complaining...   (Associated Press)
Russian riot policeman detain Boris Nemtsov, leader of an opposition party. Nemtsov has now dropped out of the running for the presidential elections in March, complaining of dirty tricks by the Kremlin.
Russian riot policeman detain Boris Nemtsov, leader of an opposition party. Nemtsov has now dropped out of the running for the presidential elections in March, complaining of dirty tricks by the Kremlin.   (Getty Images)
Boris Nemtsov, leader of the Union of Right Forces opposition party and a likely presidential candidate, holds a one-man picket in front of the Moscow police headquarters on Wednesday, Nov. 28, 2007. Nemtsov demanded the release of Garry Kasparov, former chess champion-turned opposition leader, who was arrested on Saturday and...
Boris Nemtsov, leader of the Union of Right Forces opposition party and a likely presidential candidate, holds a one-man picket in front of the Moscow police headquarters on Wednesday, Nov. 28, 2007....   (Associated Press)
One of the leaders of the Union of Right Forces Boris Nemtsov leaves a voting booth at a polling station in Moscow, Russia, Sunday, Dec. 2, 2007.  Russians voted Sunday in a parliamentary election where the only question is whether President Vladimir Putin's party will win merely a strong majority...
One of the leaders of the Union of Right Forces Boris Nemtsov leaves a voting booth at a polling station in Moscow, Russia, Sunday, Dec. 2, 2007. Russians voted Sunday in a parliamentary election where...   (Associated Press)
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