MOSCOW   -   Russia on Monday officially registered incumbent Vlad­imir Putin as a candidate for the presidential election in March, a vote that he is all but certain to win. The 71-year-old has led Russia since the turn of the cen­tury, clinching four presi­dential ballots and briefly serving as prime minister. The election will be held over a three-day period from March 15 to 17. Pu­tin’s spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, told Russian media on Monday the longtime leader would not take part in pre-election debates.