Vladimir Putin’s cousin is now the head of an anti-corruption political party in Russia

Vladimir Putin’s cousin, Roman Putin, has been elected to serve as the president of Russia’s “People Against Corruption” political party. In a secret-ballot vote, Roman Putin was chosen for a five-year term as the head of the party, reports RIA Novosti. He says the group’s top priority is now to compete in regional elections this September and later in elections for the State Duma. 

The president’s cousin rose fast in the party’s ranks, having joined People Against Corruption only on June 21. In March, he told the newspaper Kommersant that he planned to create a new political party built on guarding entrepreneurs’ rights. He said he hoped to win enough support to get this new group seats in the State Duma (where there are six parties now represented). 

The son of Igor Putin, the president’s cousin, Roman Putin is technically Vladimir Putin’s first cousin once removed. Roman has previously worked in the Federal Security Service and served on the board of directors at four banks, all of which later had their licenses revoked. In 2012 and 2013, he was a volunteer adviser to the governor of Novosibirsk. Roman Putin owns several oil and shipping companies and the “Taekwondo Federation of Russia” trust foundation.

The People Against Corruption party was registered in 2013 for the stated purpose of fighting the “consequences and causes of corruption.”

Since early 2020, Russia has registered a handful of new political parties, including a group linked to writer Zakhar Prilepin and another created by one of the founders of the “World of Tanks” video games. Meduza’s sources say the Kremlin is entertaining the registration of a dozen new political parties to create the illusion of competition at the polls. The scheme would also help fragment opposition-leaning voters.