MOSCOW, June 19 (RIA Novosti) - Senior members of the upper and lower chambers of Russia's parliament Monday hailed the nomination of incumbent Justice Minister Yury Chaika as the country's new general prosecutor, or top law officer.
The presidential press service said earlier Monday that Chaika had been nominated to replace Vladimir Ustinov, who was removed from office June 2 for reasons that remain largely opaque.
Sergei Mironov, speaker of the upper house of parliament, said: "I can say with certainty that there will be no difficulties from the standpoint of the Federation Council's decision on Chaika's candidacy."
Mironov praised Chaika's professionalism, and said the Federation Council would consider the nomination June 23.
Stansilav Vavilov, the chairman of the Federation Council's committee for judicial and legal affairs, echoed Mironov's words, saying: "My forecast is that the Federation Council will unequivocally support his candidacy."
Ustinov's ouster took many by surprise, as it came following the launch of corruption probes against senior security and legal officials, as well as regional leaders - a campaign inspired by President Vladimir Putin and ardently supported by Ustinov. But the Federation Council voted overwhelmingly to back Ustinov's removal without much fuss, and the lower house of parliament is also likely to back his successor.
State Duma Speaker Boris Gryzlov, who also heads pro-presidential party United Russia, which dominates the lower house, said Chaika had a long service record with the Prosecutor General's Office.
"He is even called a 100% prosecutor," Gryzlov said, sentiments echoed by his deputy, Vyacheslav Volodin: "This could be called the best decision. Chaika is no newcomer and knows the justice system well."
Chaika, 55, was Deputy Prosecutor General in 1995-1999 and served as acting Prosecutor General in 1999 under ex-President Boris Yeltsin. A moderate supporter of judicial reform, he often found himself at odds with Ustinov, who took over the top prosecutor's job full-time after Chaika in 1999.
During his tenure, Ustinov oversaw a series of high-profile and apparently politically motivated cases, including the investigation into and fraud and tax evasion charges against media tycoon Vladimir Gusinsky in 2000, who fled Russia and found shelter in Israel, and the arrest of Yukos founder Mikhail Khodorkovsky in 2003 on similar charges.
Discussing the reasons for Ustinov's removal, newspapers have pointed to his connections to Igor Sechin, 46, deputy head of the presidential administration, whose daughter is married to the former prosecutor's son. Sechin had reportedly helped Ustinov retain the post for two consecutive terms and was behind some of prosecutors' moves in the anti-corruption campaign.
Also hailing Chaika's previous job record, Viktor Ozerov, head of the Federation Council's defense and security committee, said it was important that the president had nominated the candidate.
"Therefore, I do not think [the candidacy] will produce serious objections," he said. "Certainly, we will ask him questions at our committee meeting, but I am sure the decision will be positive."
Ozerov also suggested that Chaika would not bring drastic changes to prosecutors' practices, adding the Prosecutor General's Office did not need radical reform. And Chaika himself said Monday he had no plans for sweeping reform of the office, and praised its ability to fight corruption.
"The prosecutor's office should without doubt be reformed, and in many areas has already undergone reform. But all reforms should be done very carefully and deliberately," he said.
"The Prosecutor General's office has enough political will and functions to fight corruption," Chaika said.
