Putin allows image to be used for ruling party election campaign

Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has given the ruling United Russia party his permission to use his image during the run-up to the elections, his press secretary Dmitry Peskov said on Wednesday.

“Putin has signed the necessary authorization,” Peskov said.

Putin is the leader of United Russia and in the previous elections to the state Duma, Russia’s lower house of parliament, he headed the party list.

At the party’s convention on September 24, President Dmitry Medvedev and Putin announced that Medvedev would head up the party list for the December 4 parliamentary elections and is Putin’s designated successor as prime minister.