Russia's Justice Ministry again refuses to register Alexey Navalny's opposition political party

Russia’s Justice Ministry has once again refused to register anti-corruption activist Alexey Navalny’s political party, citing yet another disqualifying technicality. Officials say Navalny’s team failed to include a full copy of their party’s charter in their application to resume the registration process, attaching only a list of the most recent amendments.

Navalny told the news agency Interfax that his paperwork strictly adhered to Russia's rules and regulations, and he vowed to challenge the Justice Ministry’s decision in court.

How long has Navalny been at this?

Navalny has been trying to register a national political party since 2012. Each time his supporters submit the necessary paperwork, the Justice Ministry finds excuses to delay or reject the application. On multiple occasions, “spoiler parties” have emerged, stealing the name of Navalny’s party and forcing him to start the registration process all over again. His current effort is called “Russia of the Future.”

In late December 2017, federal election officials refused to register Alexey Navalny’s presidential candidacy on the grounds that he is still serving a felony probation sentence. According to election laws, Navalny is ineligible for elected office until at least 2028.

A poll by the Levada Center in February 2017 showed that 47 percent of the country knew Navalny’s name, though 83 percent of these people said they wouldn’t vote for him. Navalny won a surprising 27.2 percent of the vote in the 2013 Moscow mayoral race, nearly forcing a runoff against incumbent Mayor Sergey Sobyanin, who’s expected to win reelection easily in September 2018.