REGISTRATION….

The Central Election Commission registered presidential candidates Vladimir Putin, Communist Party leader Gennady Zyuganov, Samara Governor Konstantin Titov, and Aleksei Podberyozkin, head of the Spiritual Heritage movement. The application of Grigory Yavlinsky, the economist who took 7 percent of the votes four years ago, is still under review. The CEC rejected ultranationalist Vladimir Zhirinovsky (6 percent in 1996) due to shortcomings in his financial-disclosure statements. Zhirinovsky says he will appeal.