Politician runs in United Russia's primaries, after saying he'd rather shoot himself than join the party

Vladimir Akhrameiko, a deputy in the Murmansk regional Duma, will compete in primaries for the political party United Russia, to determine the group's party list in elections later this fall. Akhrameiko is famous for once having told the Duma, “I'd rather putin a bullet in my forehead than find myself on United Russia's party list.”

Previously, Akhrameiko served as a deputy in the Just Russia party, though he was ejected after publicly criticizing the party's regional leader.

Deputies of United Russia have reminded Akhrameiko about his preference for bullets over their party, and some have even started a petition against his participation in the primary.

United Russia's regional organizing committee, however, says it has no objections to Akhrameiko's spot on the ballot, explaining that he “hasn't been an oppositionist for a long time now.” “He completely supports the regional government's policies, even more than some of our party members,” a representative of the committee told the news agency FlashNord.

The remark about shooting himself rather than join United Russia wasn't the only time Akhrameiko criticized the party.