俄羅斯電視節(jié)目主持人宣布競選總統(tǒng)

Ksenia Sobchak, a Russian television presenter and socialite, said she will run for president next year in an ostensible challenge to Vladimir Putin that is likely to split the opposition.

俄羅斯電視節(jié)目主持人和社會名流克謝尼婭•索布恰克(Ksenia Sobchak)表示，她將在明年競選總統(tǒng)，這種對弗拉基米爾•普京(Vladimir Putin)表面上的挑戰(zhàn)可能分化反對派。

In a letter published in Vedomosti newspaper on Wednesday, Ms Sobchak, who became famous as the host of the Russian equivalent of reality TV show Big Brother, said she wanted Russia’s opposition to use her campaign as a way to vote “against everyone”.

索布恰克在周三發(fā)表在《Vedomosti》報上的一封信中表示，她希望俄羅斯反對派將其競選作為投票“反對所有人”的方式。索布恰克因主持俄羅斯版的《老大哥》(Big Brother)真人秀節(jié)目而成名。

“You want to speak your mind, but your candidate hasn’t been admitted to the elections? You don’t have a candidate? Tick Sobchak. You’re not picking her to be the president. You’re just using a legal and peaceful way to say, ‘Enough! I’ve had it!’” she wrote.

她寫道：“你想說出你的想法，但你心目中的候選人沒有獲得參選資格?你還沒有青睞的候選人?勾選索布恰克吧。你不是選她當總統(tǒng)，你只是用一種合法而和平的方式說，‘夠了!我已經(jīng)受夠了!’”

Mr Putin, in power for 18 years, is widely expected to declare his candidacy for March’s vote towards the end of the year. The Kremlin — which usually fields the same spoiler candidates from opposition parties that are in reality under its full control — has been seeking a way to increase turnout at a time of slumping electoral participation.

外界普遍預計，執(zhí)政18年的普京將會在今年年底宣布競選于明年3月舉行的總統(tǒng)大選。在選舉投票人數(shù)大幅下降之際，克里姆林宮一直在尋求增加投票率。克里姆林宮通常會推出來自反對派、但實際上處于其完全控制之下的同一批攪局候選人。

Alexei Navalny, by far the most popular figure in Russia’s opposition, previously accused Ms Sobchak of preparing to mount a presidential bid as a spoiler aimed at dividing anti-Putin forces.

阿列克謝•納瓦爾尼(Alexei Navalny)絕對是俄羅斯反對派中最受歡迎的人物，他早先指責索布恰克準備利用競選總統(tǒng)來攪局，目的是分化反普京陣營。

Mr Navalny is barred from running by a fraud conviction he says is politically motivated. He has mounted a campaign nonetheless that has collected 600,000 signatures and opened offices in dozens of cities across the country.

納瓦爾尼因被判犯下詐騙罪而被禁止競選總統(tǒng)——他表示，這是帶有政治動機的判決。盡管如此，他仍發(fā)起競選活動，收集了60萬人的簽名，并在全國數(shù)十個城市開設(shè)了辦公室。

Although she joined the opposition during the protests against Mr Putin’s return to the presidency five years ago, Ms Sobchak, 35, is still seen as an acceptable candidate for the Kremlin.

盡管在5年前反對普京再次當選總統(tǒng)的抗議活動期間加入了反對派，但現(xiàn)年35歲的索布恰克仍被克里姆林宮視為可接受的候選人。

Her late father Anatoly, was mayor of St Petersburg in the early 1990s and a political mentor to Mr Putin. Ms Sobchak has denied persistent rumors that the Russian president is in fact her godfather. Ms Sobchak met Mr Putin this week on the eve of her announcement, ostensibly to interview him for a film about her father.

她的已故父親阿納托利(Anatoly)曾在上世紀90年代初擔任圣彼得堡市長，還是普京的政治導師。一直有傳言稱普京實際上是她的教父，但索布恰克對此予以否認。索布恰克本周在宣布參選前夕與普京會晤，名義上是為一部關(guān)于她父親的電影而采訪普京。

Ms Sobchak said she had told Mr Putin she wanted to run. According to her, she claimed he replied: “Every person has the right to make a decision.”

索布恰克說她已經(jīng)告訴普京她想競選總統(tǒng)。據(jù)她所說，普京這樣答復她：“每個人都有權(quán)做出決定。”

Ms Sobchak’s pitch is one of generational renewal. “Ksenia is trying to put forward the idea that ‘Our fathers couldn’t do it, but we, the children, can.’ It’s not for nothing she says she’s her father’s daughter,” said Alexei Chesnakov, a former Kremlin spin doctor. “But her negatives are pretty high. I don’t think she’ll be able to attract a broader audience.”

索布恰克宣揚一種時代變化。“克謝尼婭試圖提出這樣一種觀點：‘我們父輩做不到的事，作為孩子的我們能夠做到。’她提到自己父親并非毫無意義，”克里姆林宮的前發(fā)言人阿列克謝•切斯諾科夫(Alexei Chesnakov)說。“但反對她的呼聲也很高。我不認為她能吸引更廣泛的觀眾。”

The Kremlin was alarmed earlier this year when Mr Navalny organised nationwide protests on an unprecedented scale. He then began holding campaign rallies in provincial cities that attracted large crowds until he was sentenced to 20 days in jail for violating protest laws earlier this month.

今年早些時候，納瓦爾尼組織了一系列規(guī)?？涨暗娜珖钥棺h活動，驚動了克里姆林宮。隨后，他開始在地方城市召開競選集會，吸引了大批群眾，直到本月初因違反抗議法被判入獄20天。

Last month, Mr Navalny said Ms Sobchak was “playing the repulsive game called ‘Let’s drag a liberal laughingstock to the polls’”. He accused her of preparing her candidacy as a “plus for her show business career”.

上個月，納瓦爾尼稱索布恰克正在“玩一個令人作嘔的游戲，這個游戲名叫‘讓我們拖著自由的笑柄去投票’”。他指責索布恰克將候選人資格當作“其演藝事業(yè)的一項加分”。

The head of Russia’s election commission said earlier this week that Mr Navalny would be allowed to run when his ban expired in 2028.

俄羅斯選舉委員會負責人在本周早些時候表示，2028年納瓦爾尼的禁令到期后，他就可以參加競選。

Ms Sobchak said that she wanted Mr Navalny to be allowed to run, in which case she promised to consider withdrawing her candidacy. “I might not be your candidate,” she wrote. “But my taking part in this election is good for voters and useful for the Russian political system.”

索布恰克說她希望納瓦爾尼獲準參選，若是那樣的話她答應(yīng)考慮退出競選。“我也許不是你們心目中的候選人，”她寫道，“但我參加這次選舉對選民有益，對俄羅斯的政治體系也有幫助。”