“Putin didn’t spend any money on the elections”
The Central Election Commission has calculated election expenses
Member of the Central Election Commission EVGENY KOLYUSHIN told Kommersant correspondent Irina Nagornykh how the financial relations of the Central Election Commission with former candidates for deputies and president are built.

— Presidential candidates had to submit financial reports by April 26. Have you passed everything?
- Except one. A certain locksmith Kozlov, who was not registered. All 12 registered candidates submitted their reports. The CEC must submit a financial report to the chambers of the Federal Assembly no later than July 7.
— On the eve of the presidential elections, the Central Election Commission suspected Yavlinsky of overspending financial resources. Have you checked?
- We checked. There was information that he used funds without going through the fund. But we have no documentary evidence of this information. So far we have not found a single case of misuse of funds by any of the candidates.
— Why should parliamentary candidates return money to the media for free broadcasting, but presidential candidates should not?
— The legislator simply took pity on the presidential candidates, this is a lot of money. It’s still easier for parties. In the Duma elections, a total of 600 million rubles were supposed to be returned.
- And they returned it?
— NDR returned 1.6 million rubles to ORT and TV Center, Kedr returned 106 thousand rubles. newspaper "Red Star", radio station "Yunost - Youth Channel" and radio "Voice of Russia".
- This is all?
- All. But the media themselves do not use their rights. They must go to court.
— Why don’t the media insist?
- We will look into this issue. We also don’t understand why. We sent letters to the media explaining their rights. But the CEC cannot interfere in this process and sue. This is a question of relations between the media and parties.
— How much did the “promotion” of Zhirinovsky cost the budget, when he was either included or excluded from the campaign? After all, the re-printing of ballots could have been avoided if the ballots without his name had not been printed too early.
— Ballots were printed on time to ensure early voting. The Central Election Commission did not play along with anyone. The elections showed that Zhirinovsky suffered a big defeat.
— The law states that outsider candidates must return the money allocated by the state within 30 days from voting day. Who of those who did not achieve 3% did not return the money?
— Budget funds were returned by Dzhabrailov, Podberezkin, and Tuleyev. Titov returned 300 thousand rubles over the last week, with another 100 thousand remaining. Govorukhin, Zhirinovsky, Pamfilova, Skuratov and Savostyanov must return the money.
“Aren’t they already late with the return?”
— The law allows you to write commitment statements and pay your bills within a year. If they do not return the money by March 26, 2001, then we will sue them.
— Are there candidates who did not spend public money at all?
— Well, it turns out that Putin didn’t spend it. We transferred 400 thousand to him, and he returned it to us, although he was not obliged to. Just like “Bear” - he returned everything that was given to them.
But there are other examples. When some leaders of political parties tried to register as candidates for the presidential elections, we told them: “Give back the money we paid you during the parliamentary campaign.” And they answer: “When I register as a presidential candidate, then you will pay me money, and I will pay you with it for the parliamentary elections.”
— Does the Central Election Commission have no leverage to prevent this?
— There are no levers, we must give everyone equally.

Newspaper "Kommersant" No. 86 dated May 17, 2000, p. 2