MOSCOW, August 16. (Itar-Tass) Central Election Commission of Russia has no qualms with United Russia’s sources of financing, Leonid Ivlev, Deputy Chairman of the Central Election Commission, told Itar-Tass.
Smear tactics
Ivlev noted that throughout its history, United Russia has never given a reason to doubt its financial sources, suggesting that requests into their legality are nothing more than a smear campaign ahead of the Election Day. Deputy Chairman added under existing legislation political parties file quarterly reports regarding received and spent funds: “the Central Election Commission has a special supervisory department with highly qualified experts to examine [the reports].”
Previously the Election Commission urged parties to avoid offshore schemes for financing their election campaigns.
United Russia has nothing to hide
United Russia refutes all allegations. First Deputy Head of the Central Executive Committee of United Russia Konstantin Mazurevskiy told Itar-Tass that the party abides to the law in every action.
The spokesman added that there is “two-step system” which scrutinizes origins of financing. The first step is internal audit: each source is carefully screened by party officials. The second is step is a quarterly audit performed by the Central Election Commission. Mazurevskiy also reminded of control over public support foundation financing.
Accusing parties
Izvestia daily reported that Russia’s Communist Party has filed requests with the Prosecution General’s Office, Ministry of Justice, Central Election Commission and the Federal Tax Service, calling for investigating allegations of United Russia receiving overseas financing through the party’s support foundation.
Head of the Communist Party’s legal department, Deputy Chairman of the State Duma’s Constitutional Legislation Committee, Vadim Solovyev told the daily: “[The foundation] receives money from various sources, including companies with foreign funds and organizations partially owned by state. Amounts of this financing exceed legal limits. After its cleared, it is transferred from the foundation to United Russia’s accounts.”
Other ‘dirty money’ allegations
The Prosecution General’s office contacted the Interior Ministry regarding initiating a criminal case against Alex Navalny, who is suspected receiving foreign funding for his mayoral campaign.
"The Prosecutor General’s Office is running a check following an inquiry submitted by the leader of the parliamentary Liberal Democratic Party faction Vladimir Zhirinovsky regarding violation of the current legislation by Alexei Navalny in the course of Moscow mayoral campaign. At this stage, part of Zhirinovsky's claims have been confirmed," the PGO said.
More in-depth facts and figures for the Moscow election campaign