Russia's Yavlinsky to run for president if party gets into parliament
ST. PETERSBURG, September 22 (RIA Novosti) - Grigory Yavlinsky, co-founder of Yabloko, a Russian liberal party, said on Thursday he was ready to run for the presidency next March if his party gains representation in parliament.
"If we get five to seven percent, yes, I will run in the presidential election, if the party nominates me, that is," he said.
Russian parties can currently only get seats in the Duma if they receive a minimum seven percent of the vote. The government has discussed lowering that limit to five percent.
If Yabloko secures a Duma presence, he will lead the party faction there, Yavlinsky said.
Yavlinsky ran twice for the presidency - in 1996, against Boris Yeltsin, placing fourth with 7.3 percent of the vote, and in 2000, against Vladimir Putin, finishing third with 5.8 percent. He did not run in 2004 or 2008, saying there were no genuine elections in Russia.
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