Russian TV host's presidential bid shakes political scene

19/10/2017 19:18

        A presidential bid by a celebrity TV host in Russia has stirred the country's political world.
        
        The 35-year old Ksenia Sobchak announced her intention to run in the March 2018 election late Wednesday, saying the country has grown tired of stagnation and needs change.
        
        She is the daughter of Anatoly Sobchak, the reformist St. Petersburg mayor in the early 1990s. President Vladimir Putin once worked as her father's deputy.
        Putin hasn't yet said whether he would seek re-election, but he's widely expected to run.
        
        Some see Sobchak's bid as part of Kremlin efforts to enliven the race, which is set to involve a set of lackluster veterans of past campaigns.
        
        The involvement of Sobchak, who joined anti-Kremlin protests in 2011-2012 could help boost turnout without jeopardizing Putin's bid.