Navalny Selected To Lead Russian 'Popular Alliance'

Opposition leader Aleksei Navalny looks on during a congress of the People's Alliance political party in Moscow on November 17.

Russian opposition figure Aleksei Navalny has been chosen as chairman of the new Popular Alliance party.

The 108 delegates to the November 17 party congress gave Navalny 88 of the votes.

Nikolai Lyaskin, who was part of Navalny's campaign team during the unsuccessful run for Moscow mayor in September, received 12 votes and Popular Alliance member from Perm Krai Sergei Ukhov received six votes.

Navalny said he hoped the Justice Ministry would register the party, adding that if that did not happen "it will prove once more that all the talk of the authorities that it allows the opposition to [participate] in elections is empty."

Navalny also said the party will reach out to other opposition parties and movements in Russia to join in the fight against corruption in government.

With reporting by ITAR-TASS and Interfax