MOSCOW, May 6 (RIA Novosti) – A party linked to opposition figurehead Alexei Navalny is unlikely to be able to participate in this year’s regional elections after the Justice Ministry halted its consideration of the party’s bid for official registration, a party member said on Monday.
The People’s Alliance party submitted registration documents in April, but was included on Monday on a list of seven parties whose applications had been frozen.
“Freezing [the bid] is not a refusal, but the timing means we are 99 percent unlikely to be able to take part in the September 2013 elections,” tweeted one of the party’s leaders, Leonid Volkov.
Oleg Mitvol, the Kremlin-connected head of the registered and similarly named Green Alliance – People’s Party, lodged a legal complaint last month against the People’s Alliance party. He told RIA Novosti on Monday he was satisfied with the Justice Ministry’s decision to suspend its consideration of the People’s Alliance party’s bid for registration.
Navalny, an anti-corruption crusader who is currently facing jail time over fraud charges he says are politically motivated, is not a formal member of the People’s Alliance party, which is run by his supporters. Navalny has however publically backed the party and spoke at its founding congress in Moscow last year.
