RESULTS OF THE NATION OPINION POLL CONDUCTED ON MAY 5-15, 2007

(1530 persons interviewed, margin of error does not exceed 0.03)

1. What is your attitude to the citizens with higher income?

Variant of answer	%
These people are worth respect and they should be taken as the example	29.6
These are swindlers and rascals basically	24.9
Indifferent	41.7
DA/NA	3.8

2. What are you afraid of most of all today? (more than one answer is possible)

Variant of answer	%
Loss of health	73.5
Poverty	40.8
Loss of job	33.1
Crime	24.5
Arbitrary rule of authorities	19.7
Civil war	12.6
Foreign aggression	11.2
Loss of independence for Belarus	8.9
Other	2.7

3. Are you ready to take part in actions against aggravating economic situation if they take place in your city (district)?

Variant of answer	%
Yes	18.1
No	72.1
DA/NA	9.8

4. About a million of Belarusian children went abroad for health-improving trips during the years after the Chernobyl catastrophe. Who do you think made the greatest contribution into organization of such trips?

Variant of answer	%
Foreign countries	34.4
Belarusian NGO’s (like For Children of Chernobyl and other)	30.8
Belarusian authorities	25.2
DA/NA	9.6

5. Does a man bear moral responsibility for the actions of its government?

Variant of answer	%
Yes	46.9
No	46.8
DA/NA	6.3

6. Should the President of Belarus speak Belarusian (on TV, on the radio)?

Variant of answer	%
This is not necessary	34.3
He should sometimes (speaking on certain occasions)	34.1
He always should	29.7
DA/NA	1.9

7. Do you think an opinion of the people like you influences political and socio-economic decision taking in this country?

Variant of answer	%
No, it doesn’t	67.9
Yes, it does	27.1
DA/NA	5.0

8. Have you suffered an offence from government bodies over the past three years?

Variant of answer	%
No, I haven’t	64.0
Yes, once	14.1
Yes, several times	14.1
Yes, many times	5.4
DA/NA	2.4

9. Do you think it is possible to obtain fair decisions under the current judicial system in Belarus?

Variant of answer	%
Always possible	23.7
Sometimes possible	49.7
Almost impossible	13.4
DA/NA	13.2

10. Do you think there should be an opposition to the current authorities in Belarus?

Variant of answer	%
Yes	55.7
No	29.6
DA/NA	14.7

11. In your opinion, whose interests does the current power upholds? (more than one answer is possible)

Variant of answer	%
Officialdom	43.4
The people like me	33.9
The poor and socially unprotected	23.0
Well-to-do people	20.7
Russia	4.8
West	2.2
DA	9.3

12. For whom did you vote at the presidential election in March of 2006?

Variant of answer	%
For A. Lukashenko	50.0
For A. Milinkevich	17.0
For A. Kozulin	6.4
For S. Gaidukevich	2.5
Against all	6.1
Refused to answer	4.1
Didn’t come to voting	13.0
DA/NA	0.9

13. In your opinion, has A. Lukashenko’s rating (i.e. readiness of population to vote for him at the next presidential election) increased or decreased since the past presidential election?

Variant of answer	%
Increased	32.1
Decreased	24.3
Remained unchanged	36.8
DA/NA	6.8

14. In your opinion, did A. Lukashenko’s victory contributed to consolidation of the Belarusian society or it, on the contrary, aggravated alienation within it?

Variant of answer	%
It even more united the Belarusian society	45.3
It even more alienated the Belarusian society	27.9
DA/NA	26.8

15. If a new presidential election takes place tomorrow in Belarus and the same candidates as in March of 2006 run for presidency, for whom would you vote?

Variant of answer	%
For A. Lukashenko	49.7
For A. Milinkevich	12.7
For A. Kozulin	4.4
For S. Gaidukevich	1.4
Against all	9.9
Refused to answer	4.0
Wouldn’t come to voting	10.2
DA/NA	7.7

16. Have you heard that the Congress of democratic forces will soon take place in Belarus, and hundreds of deputies will approve the development program for Belarus for the near future, and they will probably choose the leader of the united democratic forces on it?

Variant of answer	%
Yes, I have	18.4
No, I haven’t	75.9
DA/NA	5.7

17. Many people in this country and abroad believe that the Belarusian authorities should commence negotiations, not only with the EU but also with the opposition. Which of statements about such negotiations do you agree with?

Variant of answer	%
Negotiations with the opposition are critical since this is the only road to understanding and taking various interests of the society into account	48.6
Such negotiations are not needed because the opposition doesn’t represent anyone and the power doesn’t need to talk with it	21.5
Such negotiations are not needed because the opposition should not carry dialogue with the authorities violating the law and human rights but rather make them observe the law	17.9
DA/NA	12.0

18. Do you support the requirements laid several years ago by opposition parties at the talks with Belarusian authorities carried at the mediation of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE)?

Requirements	Support	Don’t support	DA/NA
Introducing changes into the Electoral Code that would ensure free and fair elections	70.5	17.1	12.4
Amending powers of the Parliament so that observation of the laws they take would become bindery for all government bodies	68.5	16.5	15.0
Putting an end to persecution of people not agreeing with the current political course	65.9	22.0	12.1
Opening state-run media including television for the opposition	57.1	31.6	11.3

19. Do you place yourself among the opposition to the current authorities?

Variant of answer	%
No	72.5
Yes	16.5
DA/NA	11.0

20. If the presidential election is held tomorrow in Belarus, for whom would you vote? (open question)

Variant of answer	%
A. Lukashenko	48.0
A. Milinkevich	12.2
A. Kozulin	4.6
A. Lebedko	1.3
S. Gaidukevich	1.2
Other politician (14 names, each given less than 0.5%)	2.4
Other answer	6.8
DA/NA	23.5

21. Last year former head of the Belarusian State University and presidential candidate A. Kozulin was sentenced to five and a half years of imprisonment for “hard ruffianism as well as for organization and participation in mass actions breaking social order.” Many international organizations, EU and the USA consider him a political prisoner and insist on his discharge. Belarusian authorities disagree and consider him a criminal. What do you think?

Variant of answer	%
He was convicted on political grounds and should be released from custody	34.9
The sentence is just and he should bear the penalty	25.0
This doesn’t matter to me	31.1
DA/NA	9.0

22. Did you take interest in the course of Russia-Belarus oil and gas conflict that occurred in the beginning of this year?

Variant of answer	%
Didn’t hear anything about it	3.7
Kept up all the time with the conflict	22.7
Followed the conflict at times	53.8
This doesn’t matter to me	15.2
DA/NA	4.6

23. Do you know how Russia-Belarus conflict over the natural gas delivered to Belarus from Russia ended up? (more than one answer is possible)

Variant of answer	%
Gas price boosted to the level of EU countries	21.2
Gas price went up twofold	44.3
Gas price remained unchanged	7.4
Russia greatly cut its deliveries of gas to Belarus	5.4
Other	1.3
DA/NA	20.8

24. Different people make different conclusions from Russia-Belarus oil and gas conflict. Which of them do you agree with?

Variant of answer	%
Belarus should reciprocate the European Union to protect itself from Russia’s pressure	26.2
It is better to reach consensus with Russia than reciprocate the EU	29.4
Belarus should merge with Russia, and all of its energy problems will be solved then	8.2
Belarus shouldn’t reciprocate the West or the East but rather be fully independent	26.6
DA/NA	9.6

25. What you think will be the immediate consequences of this conflict for the Belarusian economics?

Variant of answer	%
Its state will aggravate considerably	23.5
Its state will slightly aggravate	31.7
Its state won’t change	31.0
Its state will slightly improve	2.8
Its state will improve considerably	1.8
DA/NA	9.2

26. In your opinion, how will this conflict influence the home policy of Belarus? (more than one answer is possible)

Variant of answer	%
Advancement of economic reforms	28.9
Advancement of political reforms	7.4
Increase of pressure on directors of state-owned enterprises and businessmen	30.1
Closer persecution of the opposition	10.0
Politics will not change	28.9
DA/NA	11.2

27. Have you and your family suffered the consequences of Russia-Belarus oil and gas conflict?

Variant of answer	%
Yes	38.7
No	56.1
DA/NA	5.2

28. If the consequences of gas prices growth appear hard for you and your family, will you approve merging of Belarus with Russia?

Variant of answer	%
No	56.9
Yes	31.7
DA/NA	11.4

29. In your opinion, should Belarus actively approximate (integrate into) the European Union?

Variant of answer	%
Yes	45.8
No	39.1
DA/NA	15.1

30. In your opinion, with what country/union should Belarus establish the closest relations? (more than one answer is possible)

Variant of answer	%
Russia	58.6
European Union	44.5
CIS	35.2
Iran, Venezuela, other likewise countries	19.0
China	14.7
Arab countries	9.7
USA	8.5
DA	7.7

31. Do you think Belarus should become an EU member?

Variant of answer	%
No	49.3
Yes	33.5
DA/NA	17.2

32. In the end of 2006 the European Commission has developed a new package of proposals for Belarus to increase its living standard and offered economic support in exchange to democratic reforming in the country. In your opinion, which of the EU conditions should Belarusian authorities comply with for the Belarusian citizens to get this aid?

Conditions of the European Union	Should comply with	Shouldn’t comply with	DA/NA
Respect the right of citizens to elect their leaders in democratic way	83.1	8.6	8.3
Respect the right of citizens to independent information and freedom of speech	84.6	8.8	6.6
Respect the rights of public associations	78.9	11.5	9.6
Release all political prisoners	51.9	32.3	15.8
Ensure the right of people for open and impartial court	80.1	11.1	8.8
Stop arbitrary arrests, detentions and unworthy treatment of people	77.6	12.1	10.3
Observe the rights of citizens belonging to national minorities	74.7	13.5	11.8
Observe labor law, in particular people’s right to membership in trade unions	81.0	8.7	10.3
Respect the right of citizens to entrepreneurship without excessive interference of authorities	72.0	15.9	12.1
Join other nations of Europe in death penalty prohibiting	49.4	34.0	16.6
Accept EU support in human rights observation in Belarus	54.9	28.0	17.1

33. If a referendum on future development path for Belarus is held today, how would you vote?

Variant of answer	%
For integration with Russia	26.5
For accession into the EU	22.5
For both	13.4
Against both	29.5
DA/NA	8.1

34. What variant of Russia-Belarus integration would you personally prefer?

Variant of answer	%
Belarus and Russia should form a union of independent states bound with close political and economic ties	43.5
Belarus and Russia should become a single state with one president, government, army, flag, currency, etc.	8.3
Relations between Russia and Belarus should be the same as with other CIS member states	41.6
DA/NA	6.6

35. Do you use the Internet?

Variant of answer	%
Yes, daily	5.2
Yes, several times a week	9.9
Yes, several times a month	10.9
Yes, several times a yes	4.0
No, I don’t	58.3
I don’t know what it is	10.5
NA	1.2

36. If you use the Internet, what web sites do you visit most often? (more than one answer is possible)

Variant of answer	%
Russian	24.6
Belarusian	20.2
European	9.9
US	1.3
Other	2.2