A Moscow nightclub has held an event entitled "Putin Party. I want the Prime Minister" regardless of earlier warnings by the prime minister's press secretary that the government would seek legal advice on the possible illegal use of Putin's name.
According to the PR director of Rai (Paradise) Nightclub, Artyem Shatrov, no one from the government had contacted the club's press office and the event was held as planned on Sunday night. He said the use of Putin's name was not used for advertisement purposes.
"We just wanted to entertain the public," a club spokesman said.
Vladimir Putin's press secretary Dmitry Peskov said last week the prime minister's office would hold consultations with lawyers over the club's plans.
Peskov said lawyers will help establish if the name of the planned party affects the image of the Russian prime minister. He said the organizers of the event had not received permission from Putin to use his name and image in the advertisement, as Russian law requires.
There was no information on the outcome of the government's legal consultations.
On the club's website, the announcement for the party portrays a fake election result in which the "prime minister" was chosen over Hollywood star Bruce Willis, popular Russian rap singer Timati, football player David Beckham, and revolutionary Che Guevara.
"We wanted to stress that we are choosing the prime minister above everyone," a club spokeswoman, who identified herself as Maria, said on March 1.
MOSCOW, March 7 (RIA Novosti)
