Government funding to be reduced for Communist Party and A Fair Russia Party

Russia's Communist Party and A Fair Russia are seeking to optimize their operation in light of reduced government funding since September's Duma elections, reported newspaper Kommersant on Monday citing sources within the parties.

According to the newspaper, A Fair Russia is planning to decrease its expenditure, while the Communist Party seeks to solve its financial difficulties by increase membership fees for its deputies.

Pro-Kremlin political party United Russia and the Liberal Democratic Party, reported Kommersant, have not complaints about financial difficulties.

Political parties that have secured more than 3 percent of the vote in parliamentary elections are funded in accordance with a $100 per vote scheme, writes newspaper Kommersant. Therefore, United Russia is expected to receive about 3.1 billion rubles per year (approximately $49 billion) and the Liberal Democratic Party is expected to receive about 760 million ($12 million). The financing of the Communist Party will be reduced by half (to 772 million rubles; approximately $12 million) and of A Fair Russia party by two and a half times (to 360 million rubles; approximately $5.7 million).

Elections to the State Duma were held on September 18, 2016. United Russia won a constitutional majority in the Duma. Turnout for the elections was 47.88 percent.