"If Zyuganov wins at the presidential elections, the democratic movement will have to move under the table," said Anatoly Chubais, the former privatization minister, on a visit to St Petersburg.
As head of the newly established Russian Foundation for the Protection of Private Property and a member of the council for re-electing President Boris Yeltsin, Mr Chubais said that there is no alternative to Mr Yeltsin now -- not even Yabloko leader Grigory Yavlinsky.
"Every vote given to Yavlinsky now will virtually turn into the vote in favor of Zyuganov," he said.
Mr Chubais said his partners in the foundation are solid businessmen, who gathered together to support Mr Yeltsin financially for "pragmatic reasons."
He said the main aim of the campaign he is now waging is to stop and prevent any infringement on private property rights.
The former St Petersburg resident added that Mr Zyuganov would certainly undermine rights to private property if he becomes president.
"Protection of the private property nowadays means protection of every person -- should he be an apartment or a dacha (country house) owner."
He said his foundation has amassed "quite a lot of money, more than we could have imagined before."
Mr Chubais would not elaborate on the amount, or on the name of his foundation's sponsors, saying, "Our opponents are serious and we can speak of a real opposition, capable of drawing up `killing' lists."
He slammed some Russian businessmen who have begun to finance Mr Zyuganov's campaign, hoping to gain privileges from the communists if they come to power.
Mr Chubais resigned earlier this year after Mr Yeltsin severely criticized his performance.