The Russian election is 12 days away and according to his own internal polls, Mikhail Prokhorov has between five and nine percent of the vote and may even be tied for second with the Community Party candidate. Still a long way from challenging Vladimir Putin, but closing in on the 15 percent pundits think he'll need to get into a runoff March 25.
Under Russian election law, if no candidate gets 50 percent of the vote, the top two candidates go to a runoff and the New York Times reports on its front page Tuesday that he "is, improbably, gaining momentum in a way that speaks to the state of Russian politics — in particular, the extraordinary hunger for a fresh face in a small but distinct part of the electorate."
Prokhorov told The Australian last week that if he doesn't win, he will not accept a position in a Putin cabinet and will form a new political party. If he wins, he's said he will sell all his businesses, presumably including the Nets.
- Prokhorov Is a New Kind of Russian Candidate - a Billionaire - Andrew Kramer - New York Times
- Russian billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov determined to challenge Vladimir Putin at the polls - Mark Franchetti - The Australian
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Nets Owner Mikhail Prokhorov Is Running For President Of Russia On A Platform Of "I'm Tall" - Dom Consentino - Deadspin