«

»

RESULTS OF THE NATION OPINION POLL CONDUCTED ON MARCH 3-13, 2008

(1531 persons interviewed, margin of error does not exceed 0.03)

 

1. In what way has your financial position changed for the last three months?

Variant of answer

%

It has become worse

25.0

It has not changed

57.6

It has improved

15.7

DA/NA

1.7

2. In your opinion, does the state of affairs in our country develop in general in the right or in the wrong direction?

Variant of answer

%

In the right direction

50.2

In the wrong direction

34.5

DA/NA

15.3

3. In your opinion, how is socio-economic situation in Belarus going to change in the next few years?

Variant of answer

%

It is going to improve

29.8

It is not going to change

37.1

It is going to become worse

26.0

DA/NA

7.1

> 4. Lately the authorities have begun to practice evicting citizens from their apartments if they have not paid for communal-general services for a long time. What is your attitude towards this practice?

Variant of answer

%

I approve of it

49.0

I disapprove of it

40.1

DA/NA

10.9

5. In December of the previous year the authorities carried into effect their decision concerning reduction of benefits for the majority of the population. What is your attitude towards it?

Variant of answer

%

I disapprove of it

75.9

I approve of it

20.1

DA/NA

4.0

6. In your opinion, who has triggered cancellation of benefits for the population?

Variant of answer

%

The President

61.0

The Parliament

20.0

Russia

5.2

The West

3.0

The Opposition

1.6

DA/NA

9.2

7. If actions against worsening of the economic position take place in your town (district), are you ready to take part in them?

Variant of answer

%

No

72.4

Yes

17.9

DA/NA

9.7

8. In January mass protest actions of individual entrepreneurs occurred in Minsk. Have you heard of these actions?

Variant of answer

%

Yes

75.1

No

21.7

DA/NA

3.2

9. What is your attitude to these actions?

Variant of answer

%

I approve of them

40.2

I disapprove of them

15.4

It makes no difference to me

30.9

DA/NA

13.5

10. In your opinion, what are the reasons for the protest actions conducted by individual entrepreneurs? (more than one answer is possible)

Variant of answer

%

They protested against the ban to have wage laborers

40.5

They protested against arbitrariness of state officials

24.2

They strive for retaining their benefits

23.7

Other reasons

0.8

DA

18.5

11. What is more important: improvement of Belarus economic position or independence of the country?

Variant of answer

%

Improvement of Belarus economic position

64.5

Independence of the country

24.1

DA/NA

11.4

12. Have you personally won or lost due to the fact that Belarus became an independent country?

Variant of answer

%

I have won

43.1

I have lost

25.8

DA/NA

31.1

13. How do you in general assess the political situation in Belarus?

Variant of answer

%

It is safe

14.5

It is calm

50.6

It is tense

25.6

It is critical, dangerously explosive

4.6

DA/NA

4.7

14. Do you trust the president of Belarus?

Variant of answer

%

Trust

47.3

Distrust

38.0

DA/NA

14.7

15. What are you afraid of most of all today?

Variant of answer

%

Loss of health

60.3

Poverty

46.2

Loss of a job

25.9

Arbitrariness of the authorities

13.9

Criminality

12.3

A civil war

8.5

Foreign aggression

8.2

Loss of Belarus independence

3.8

Something else

1.4

16. In the West president A. Lukashenko is often referred to as “the last dictator in Europe”. What is your attitude towards this statement?

Variant of answer

%

I do not agree with it

40.1

I agree with it

35.8

It is all the same to me

18.6

DA/NA

5.5

17. What is your attitude towards the decision of the authorities, which provides for the following: from this year on leaving of the country for the Belarusians can be limited on the grounds of secret lists rendered by special services to the check-points?

Variant of answer

%

It is a wrong decision

44.3

It is a sound decision

21.2

I have not thought about it and I do not care

27.9

DA/NA

6.6

18. Some of our citizens are going to celebrate the 90th anniversary of the Belarusian People’s Republic declaration on March, 25. What is your attitude to this event?

Variant of answer

%

Yes, it is a great event for the Belarusians, which should be celebrated

46.4

No, this event does not deserve any attention, and it should not be celebrated

28.6

DA/NA

25.0

19. On March, 25 the opposition is going to organize a march devoted to the 90th anniversary of the Belarusian People’s Republic declaration. What is your attitude to the initiative?

Variant of answer

%

I disapprove of it

41.6

I approve of it

33.7

DA/NA

24.7

20. If this march takes place, are you going to participate in it?

Variant of answer

%

No

78.0

Yes

10.2

DA/NA

11.8

21. Recently in our country the deputy editor of the newspaper “Zgoda” Alexander Sdvizhkov has been sentenced for three years of high security for having reprinted from a Danish newspaper in 2007 caricatures on Mohammed, the prophet. What is your attitude to the verdict? (more than one answer is possible)

Variant of answer

%

The verdict is too severe, but the caricatures should not have been printed

31.7

The verdict is violation of freedom of speech; one should not be punished for words

21.5

Expansion of aggressive Islam is a dangerous phenomenon, and A. Sdvizhkov suffered for attracting attention to the danger.

17.5

A. Sdvizhkov had offended religious feelings of the Moslems, and to sentence him was a right thing to do

12.2

DA

23.3

22. In your opinion, to what extent should the Belarusian language be present in the public life: in the army, in legal proceedings, in the state mass media, etc.?

Variant of answer

%

The present state of affairs should be kept

37.2

The Belarusian language must be represented in the same way as the Russian language

27.2

Everything in the public field should be in the Belarusian language

13.6

The Belarusian language should be represented proportionate to the number of people who speak it

12.8

Everything in the public field should be in the Russian language

5.8

DA/NA

3.4

23. The governing body of the country has made a final decision for a nuclear power-station to be built in Belarus. What is your attitude to this decision?

Variant of answer

%

I disapprove of it

42.1

I approve of it

37.4

It makes no difference to me

11.7

DA/NA

8.8

24. If a referendum on the question of Belarus and Russia integration were being conducted today, how would you vote?

Variant of answer

%

Against integration

41.6

For integration

35.8

I would not take part in voting

11.3

DA/NA

11.3

25. If now a referendum on the question whether Belarus should or should not join the European Union were being conducted in Belarus, what choice would you make?

Variant of answer

%

For

35.4

Against

35.4

I would not take part in voting

15.4

DA/NA

13.8

26. In May of 2004 neighbors of Belarus – Poland, Lithuania and Latvia – became members of the European Union. In your opinion has the life of the citizens in these countries become better or worse in the course of four years?

Variant of answer

%

It has become better

38.3

It has become worse

12.8

It has not changed

26.0

DA/NA

22.9

 

More »»

 
27. What is your attitude towards the introduction by Poland of the so called “a Pole’s card” – a document, which gives ethnic Poles living outside Poland, including in Belarus, visa and other benefits?

Variant of answer

%

It makes no difference to me

44.4

It is positive

42.6

It is negative

12.6

NA

0.4

28. How do you assess the course of presidential elections in Russia?

Variant of answer

%

They are democratic approximately to the same extent as the Belarusian elections

54.0

They are more democratic than in Belarus

21.8

They are less democratic than in Belarus

12.0

DA/NA

12.2

29. If the consequences of the rise in prices for the Russian energy carriers are going to be hard for you personally, will you approve of Belarus joining Russia?

Variant of answer

%

No

47.0

Yes

37.8

DA/NA

15.2

30. Are you going to take part in voting at the parliamentary elections of 2008?

Variant of answer

%

Yes, I am

49.6

No, I am not

19.9

I have not decided yet

29.1

NA

1.4

31. In your opinion, is it possible to consider the elections fair if: (%)

Variant of answer

Yes, it is

No, it is not

DA/NA

There are no representatives of political parties and deputy contenders in election committees

28.3

51.0

20.7

Observers representing opposition parties are not allowed to control counting of voting papers

23.2

56.7

20.1

Electors are made to vote ahead of schedule

20.0

60.2

19.8

Opposition candidates are not permitted to meet with work collectives

19.2

61.6

19.2

Only one candidate is put to the vote

17.7

63.2

19.1

Deputy contenders are not allotted equal space in newspapers and time on TV

17.0

64.7

18.3

Observers are not given attested copies of poll protocols

15.1

61.6

23.3

32. In your opinion, do falsifications occur in the course of elections?

Variant of answer

%

Yes

51.2

No

31.6

DA/NA

17.2

33. In your opinion, do the election results depend on your voice?

Variant of answer

%

Yes, they do

50.6

No, they do not

41.1

DA/NA

8.3

34. Imagine that at the elections of deputies you have to elect one of the candidates listed below. Which of them would you vote for?

Variant of answer

%

A director of a state enterprise

17.0

A deputy of the present National Assembly

15.7

A leader or an activist of a non-government organization

13.2

An entrepreneur who has a business of his own

12.4

A leader of an opposition party (movement)

11.1

For none of them

12.1

DA/NA

18.5

35. What would you do in case you learned that the election results had been forged? (more than one answer is possible)

Variant of answer

%

I would do nothing

38.4

I would certainly tell my acquaintances about the falsification

35.6

I would support the appeal of the “loser” to the law-court or to the Office of Public Prosecutor

13.2

I would go out to a street protest action

6.5

DA

10.4

36. Does the activity of the House of Representatives of the National Assembly of the Republic of Belarus influence your life or the life of your relatives?

Variant of answer

%

No, it does not

41.8

Yes, it does

38.1

DA/NA

20.1

37. Do you know anything about the work of the House of Representatives deputy elected at your constituency?

Variant of answer

%

I know nothing

60.9

Yes, I know a little bit

29.8

Yes, I know a lot

5.0

DA/NA

4.3

38. To what extent does the information you get from official sources correspond to your real life?

Variant of answer

%

It corresponds to it completely

12.7

It corresponds to it partially

43.0

It does not partially correspond to it

22.2

It does not at all correspond to it

20.2

NA

1.9