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There are 35 political parties in Russia, but almost half of them receive no funding from the state or never submit financial accounts to the authorities. Experts expect that most of these parties will cease to exist before the next election.
The Central Electoral Commission (CEC) has released political parties' financial reports for the second quarter of 2006. As usual, the United Russia party reported the largest sum of donations - 220.5 million rubles. Other "millionaires" include Russian Patriots (53.6 million rubles), Motherland (45.4 million rubles), the Russian Party of Life (35.9 million rubles). The Russian Party of Life showed a major rise in donations since the first quarter of the year, when its sponsors raised only 2.8 million rubles. The Communist Party (CPRF) got less than in the first quarter - just over 1 million rubles now against 43.2 million rubles then. "All money went directly to the Central Committee of the CPRF in the 1st quarter of the year," CPRF Secretary Oleg Kulikov explained. "These days, however, we are making preparations for regional elections. Our regional branches are raising money and using it."
Twelve political parties received no donations at all. They include the Union of Right Forces, the Republican Party of Russia, and the Russian Environmentalist Party. Explanations differ. Union of Right Forces leader Nikita Belykh points out that the party received 12 million rubles from the federal budget in the first quarter of 2006 and that the party has enough for its needs. (The annual budget of the Union of Right Forces amounts to 10.9 million rubles). The Republican Party of Russia did not receive anything in the first quarter. Its functionaries do not know why and complain of problems with registration. According to Vladimir Lysenko, the Republican Party of Russia has taken the Federal Registration Service to court because the latter keeps closing regional branches of the party. Vladimir Polyakov of the Environmentalist Party doesn't believe that there is a connection between absence of funds and results of the examination by the Federal Registration Service, but refuses to elaborate. Four parties (including SLON and Constitutional Democrats) have failed to submit their financial reports. The Federal Registration Service says that they failed to meet the minimal party membership numbers requirements.
Yelena Dubrovnina from the CEC explains that lack of money may lead to scrutiny by the Federal Registration Service. This is indirect evidence of the inadequacy of the party in question. Yuri Korgunyuk from the InDem Foundation expects abolition of these political structures in the near future. Only some small political parties that support the Kremlin may be spared.
Translated by A. Ignatkin
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