Russia election: Opponent Navalny clears first hurdle to run against Putin

Navalny now needs to be officially registered as a candidate by Russia's central election commission, which has previously said he is ineligible due to a suspended prison sentence

Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny cleared the first hurdle on Sunday towards taking part in next year’s presidential election, even though the central election commission has previously ruled him ineligible to run.

Navalny, 41, is a fierce opponent of President Vladimir Putin, who is widely expected to win re-election in March, extending his 17 years in power.

On Sunday Navalny, a veteran campaigner against corruption among Russia’s elite, won the initial support of 742 people at a gathering in a district of Moscow, above the minimum 500 required to initiate a presidential bid.

“There is no large-scale support for Putin and his rule