JRL NEWSWATCH: “Russia’s Opposition, Barred From Moscow Vote, Looks Elsewhere for Gains; Putin’s opponents hope a wave of dissent will carry them past a crackdown and their own discord” – Wall Street Journal/ Thomas Grove, Ann M. Simmons
“Targeted by police … barred from the ballot in Moscow’s city elections, Russia’s opposition is trying to gain a political foothold in other municipal races … as it rides a rising wave of dissent against … Putin. But to convert a surge in support into a coherent political challenge to … Putin, opposition leaders must first overcome a crackdown against them, and their own internal divisions. The push for a voice in local politics offers Russia’s loose opposition coalition an opportunity to indicate the breadth of its popular backing. … Some activists oppose participation in the municipal elections, calling for more street protests instead. Others, such as … Navalny, have put their weight behind fielding as many candidates as possible. …”