Trust in public officials is low in Russia, and there's a growing civic movement determined to expose their vices.<br /><br />Bloggers have embarrassed several pro-Putin officials of late, exposing their undeclared assets.<br /><br />Mindful of growing public resentment towards the elite, Vladimir Putin has promised to fight corruption.<br /><br />He dismissed his Defence Minister, Anatoly Serdyukov over graft allegations in November.<br /><br />But Serdyukov is yet to face charges. Observers say Putin cannot afford to push too far.<br /><br />On the face of it , civic activists have scored direct hits on Putin's deputies with several resignations so far in the parliament.<br /><br />But there's a note of caution; Putin's United Russia Party has been coined by the opposition as "the party of swindlers and thieves."<br /><br />Al Jazeera's Robin Forestier-Walker reports from Moscow.
