Communist candidate running for Russian presidency may be barred

MOSCOW   
 AFP March6, 2018   
 The Communist candidate running against Vladimir Putin in this month’s presidential polls risks being barred over allegations he failed to declare Swiss bank accounts containing $1 million, Russian media reported Tuesday.   Pavel Grudinin, a wealthy businessman, is currently running a distant second to Putin in opinion polls but his rating has grown as Putin’s has dipped.   

He has faced largely negative coverage in pro-Kremlin media.   

Central electoral commission officials have accused Grudinin of failing to declare and close all his foreign bank accounts before registering as a candidate in January, as required by law.