MOSCOW. June 2 (Interfax) - The resignation of Russian Prosecutor General Vladimir Ustinov could be linked to the fact that the authorities are dissatisfied with the current state of the fight against corruption, Politika foundation President Vyacheslav Nikonov said.

"Various reasons for his resignation are possible. Recently, the authorities criticized the fight against corruption and the insufficient efforts by investigative bodies concerning serious instances of abuse in the customs service and other state bodies," Nikonov told Interfax on Friday.

Ustinov's successor "will be a person with a degree in law, who has worked in president's administration and who has close ties with the president," Nikonov said.

The prosecutor general's resignation had been rumored for several weeks. (Russian presidential envoy to the Southern Federal District Dmitry) Kozak was named among his possible successors," he said.

Scholar-in-residence and program co-chair at the Carnegie Moscow Center Alexei Malashenko believes that Ustinov resigned due to insufficient approval ratings and an ineffective fight against corruption.

"The first reaction to Ustinov's resignation was astonishment," yet Ustinov was not popular in society, he said.

"It looked as if Ustinov did not perform his duties. Anyway, he was a failure at some trials, was too straightforward and not always flexible, people disliked him," Malashenko said.

"One must also mention the issue of corruption. Everybody knows that the Russian Prosecutor General's Office is far from successful," the political expert said.