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RESULTS OF THE NATION OPINION POLL CONDUCTED ON SEPTEMBER 2-12, 2008

(1501 persons interviewed, margin of error does not exceed 0.03)

 

1. To what extent are you satisfied with the present living conditions in Belarus?

Variant of answer

%

I am completely satisfied with them

15.6

I am more likely satisfied than unsatisfied

40.1

I am more likely unsatisfied than satisfied

31.1

I am completely unsatisfied

10.3

DA/NA

2.9

2. In your opinion, market reforms in Belarus…

Variant of answer

%

Are successfully accomplished

4.7

Are successfully developing

29.8

Have been hampered

24.7

Have ended in failure

8.5

Have never seriously begun

15.7

DA/NA

16.6

3. If you think that some changes have lately occurred in the economy of the country, than what kind of changes has there been more?

Variant of answer

%

There has been more of favorable changes

20.7

Both kinds of changes have occurred equally

39.3

There has been more of unfavorable changes

24.4

There has been no changes at all

9.1

DA/NA

6.5

4. Do you have any idea, what direction Belarus is moving in, what is made its aim by the governing body of the country?

Variant of answer

%

I have a quite clear idea

27.1

I have a quite vague idea

41.0

I have no idea

26.9

DA/NA

5.0

5. In your opinion, are fundamental changes possible in home and foreign policy of Belarus in the next five years?

Variant of answer

%

They are possible

31.8

They are unlikely

46.6

They are impossible

15.2

DA/NA

6.4

6. If you consider that such changes are possible, who, in your opinion, is going to trigger them? (more than one answer is possible)

Variant of answer

%

Belarusian authorities

32.7

Belarusian people

23.6

Belarusian opposition

9.8

The West

8.1

Russia

6.3

DA/NA

12.0

7. Would you like such changes to happen?

Variant of answer

%

Yes

52.2

No

15.6

I do not care

14.7

DA/NA

17.5

8. What does the concept “stability in the country” mean to you in the first place? (more than one answer is possible)

Variant of answer

%

A possibility to live decently on my salary or pension

73.1

Overcoming of inflation and rise in prices

40.6

Increase in production

22.7

Increase in Belarus international authority

17.3

Curb of criminality

16.7

Stability of the government

16.3

Absence of contrast between the life of the rich and the poor

15.0

Rebirth of cultural wealth

14.1

A possibility to freely express one’s opinion

11.3

A possibility to freely choose work and place of residence

10.2

Other

0.4

DA/NA

3.8

9. In your opinion, does Belarus need the House of Representatives of the National Assembly (the parliament), or can the life in Belarus be organized by the president equally well?

Variant of answer

%

Belarus needs the parliament

65.3

Life in the country can be successfully organized by the president

21.4

DA/NA

13.3

10. What do you think about the readiness of people in Belarus to express their political views?

Variant of answer

%

Nobody is afraid of expressing one’s political views

24.6

Only some people are afraid

22.1

Many people are afraid

39.1

Everybody is afraid

10.0

DA/NA

4.2

11. Do you agree that a strong leader can do more for the country today than good laws?

Variant of answer

%

I agree

47.4

I disagree

42.2

DA/NA

10.4

12. What, in your opinion, called forth the recent decision of the authorities to discharge from detention Alexander Kozulin, the former presidential contender, ahead of time? (more than one answer is possible)

Variant of answer

%

It is an act of mercy

33.2

The authorities yielded to the pressure of the West

18.2

The authorities demonstrated to Russia their readiness to collaborate with the West

15.2

The authorities yielded to the pressure of the opposition

12.7

Other

1.7

DA

22.2

13. In your opinion, should Belarus openly support any of the sides of the Georgian-South Ossetian-Russian conflict?

Variant of answer

%

Yes, Belarus should support Georgia

4.9

Yes, Belarus should support South Ossetia and Russia

46.4

No, Belarus should not support any of them

39.0

DA/NA

9.7

14. If you had to choose between integration with Russia and entering the European Union, what would you choose?

Variant of answer

%

Integration with Russia

54.0

Entering the European Union

26.2

DA/NA

19.8

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

Variant of answer

%

Yes, I am

61.2

No, I am not

14.9

I have not decided yet

23.5

NA

0.4

16. In your opinion, are these elections going to be free and just?

Variant of answer

%

Yes

49.8

No

30.5

DA/NA

19.7

17. Which candidate would you prefer to vote for?

Variant of answer

%

For a supporter of A. Lukashenko

43.5

For an opponent of A. Lukashenko

19.6

For another candidate

21.9

DA/NA

15.0

18. In your opinion, whom will the majority of the electors vote for?

Variant of answer

%

For a supporter of A. Lukashenko

59.6

For an opponent of A. Lukashenko

10.6

For another candidate

9.4

DA/NA

20.4

19. Are you going to vote ahead of schedule?

Variant of answer

%

Yes

14.4

No

76.8

DA/NA

8.8

20. In your opinion, do the elections results depend on your vote?

Variant of answer

%

Yes, they do

44.1

No, they do not

45.7

DA/NA

10.2

21. Did you take part in the voting at the parliamentary elections of 2004?

Variant of answer

%

Yes, I did

63.6

No, I did not

24.7

I do not remember

11.0

NA

0.7

22. Which candidate did you vote for at the parliamentary elections of 2004?

Variant of answer

%

For a supporter of A. Lukashenko

34.5

For an opponent of A. Lukashenko

10.6

For another candidate

6.4

I do not remember

19.1

DA/NA

29.4

23. Does the work of the House of Representatives of the National Assembly of the Republic of Belarus influence your life or the life of your family?

Variant of answer

%

Yes, it does

49.1

No, it does not

37.4

DA/NA

13.5

24. In your opinion, is the House of Representatives, which is to be elected at the impending elections, going to reflect the interests of the society?

Variant of answer

%

I think, yes

47.0

I think, no

34.8

DA/NA

18.2

25. Whose information about the elections results do you trust most of all? (more than one answer is possible)

Variant of answer

%

Of the central election committee

38.1

Of international organizations observers

26.1

Of divisional and district election committees

19.8

Of deputy candidates themselves

14.1

Of the opposition observers

12.0

Of the government and administration bodies observers

11.0

Of the court bodies observers

6.6

DA

19.0

26. Which of the problems listed below is crucial for you when you choose a candidate to vote for? (more than one answer is possible)

Variant of answer

%

Increase of the living standard

73.2

Health protection

33.6

Rise in prices

25.4

Creation of jobs

25.3

Payment of pensions

25.0

Democracy and independence of Belarus

19.5

Education

12.2

Relations with Europe

11.2

Relations with Russia

10.0

Corruption

7.4

Delinquency

5.5

Religious freedom

1.2

27. Imagine that at the deputy elections you have to choose one of the candidates listed below. Which of them would you vote for?

Variant of answer

%

A deputy of the present National Assembly

16.9

A director of a state enterprise

16.9

A businessman who has a business of his own

15.6

A leader or an activist of a non-government organization

12.9

A leader of an opposition party (movement)

8.8

None of them

9.7

DA/NA

19.2

28. If you found out that the results of the elections had been faked-up, what would you do? (more than one answer is possible)

Variant of answer

%

I would not do anything

50.1

I would certainly tell my acquaintances about the falsification

26.7

I would support reference of the “loser” candidate to the court or the Office of Public Prosecutor

10.3

I would go out to a street protest action

7.6

DA

7.3

29. In your opinion, is real struggle among candidates going to take place at the forthcoming elections, or is it going to be just an imitation of this struggle and distribution of places in the House of Representatives is going to be defined by the authorities beforehand?

Variant of answer

%

Real struggle is going to take place

39.2

Only imitation of struggle is going to take place, and distribution of places has been defined by the authorities beforehand

41.8

DA/NA

19.0

30. What do you expect from the new membership of the House of Representatives? (more than one answer is possible)

Variant of answer

%

A better life for me and my family

43.8

Increase in salaries and pensions

33.6

Increase in social security and stability

22.5

Increase in opportunities for democracy and personal self-expression

7.5

Improvement of relations with the West

5.1

Representatives of the opposition will get to the House of Representatives

3.9

I expect nothing

25.4

DA

2.5

31. What is your attitude towards the boycott of the impending parliamentary elections, which a part of the opposition is calling upon to?

Variant of answer

%

It is positive

8.8

It makes no difference to me

24.8

It is negative

26.5

I have not heard anything about it

38.9

NA

1.0

32. What, in your opinion, is the main duty of a deputy of the parliament?

Variant of answer

%

To protect the interests of the electors of his constituency

55.5

To elaborate and pass laws

16.3

To execute orders of the president

12.4

To elaborate and conduct state policy on his own

9.9

Other

0.1

DA/NA

5.8

33. In your opinion, do deputy candidates have real programs for life improvement in the country? (%)

Variant of answer

Yes, they do

No, they do not

DA/NA

Candidates supporting the authorities

56.4

24.7

18.9

Opposition candidates

40.6

34.5

24.9