Sergei Mironov...ousted ex-speaker of parliament's upper house...wants PM Vladimir Putin to end his run for the presidency.
Mironov says : 'Putin must go. I don't see any willingness by Putin to change the political system. He believes monopoly of power is good.'
Former paratrooper Mironov, 58, was long a Putin ally from St. Petersburg...but now plans to challenge Putin in the March election...and even join a future Moscow protest march.
He believes Putin lacks imagination...and will send Russia into an economic spiral with continued reliance on energy exports only.