Russia’s chief election official issued a rare slap on the wrist to Vladimir Putin’s spokesman over remarks she perceived as unfair promotion of the president.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov called Putin "an absolute leader" with no competition on "political Mt. Olympus" at a daily conference call with reporters earlier this week.
Ella Pamfilova, the head of Russia’s election office, saw "obvious signs of campaigning," in Peskov’s remarks, the RBC business portal reported on Friday.
"I am now reprimanding the president’s press secretary on behalf of the Central Elections Commission to prevent such statements in the future," it cited her as saying.
Peskov apologized an hour after Pamfilova’s admonition.
"From now on I will, of course, be more careful during this [campaign] period so as not to give cause for such criticism," the state-run RIA Novosti news agency cited him as saying.
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