No Putin portraits on campaign posters

Boston Star (IANS) Monday 6th February, 2012

There will be no portraits of Russian Prime Minister and presidential frontrunner Vladimir Putin on campaign posters ahead of the March 4 polls, as he was quite "well known", an official has said.

A source within the prime minister's election staff told the Vedomosti daily that Putin was "well known" and there was "no necessity to feature him".

Slogans like "A strong leader for a great country" will come to the spotlight in Putin's campaign posters, the source said.

Putin's United Russia party's press service and his election staff have refused official comments.

Images of Putin, considered the most likely candidate to win the presidential election, may appear on posters and billboards by mid-February when the second wave of the election campaign will kick off, a source within one of Putin's regional teams said.

Putin served two terms as president between 2000 and 2008 but was barred from standing for a third consecutive term by the Constitution. He became prime minister after his handpicked successor, Dmitry Medvedev, became president.

--IANS/RIA Novosti

pm