«

»

RESULTS OF THE NATION OPINION POLL CONDUCTED IN SEPTEMBER OF 2005

(1504 persons interviewed, margin of error does not exceed 0.03)

 

1. Which currency do you trust the most?

Variant of answer

%

US dollars

43.5

Belarusian rubles

33.7

EURO

16.2

Russian rubles

2.0

Other

0.4

DA/NA

4.2

2. Have you spent your annual leave abroad during the past five years?

Variant of answer

%

No

73.4

Yes

25.5

NA

1.1

3. In general, does Belarus go in the right or wrong direction?

Variant of answer

%

In the right direction

53.4

In the wrong direction

30.2

DA/NA

16.4

4. What do you think about people’s readiness in Belarus to express their political viewpoints?

Variant of answer

%

No one is afraid to express political viewpoints

20.6

Only few people are afraid

22.2

Many people are afraid

37.1

All are afraid

13.5

DA/NA

6.6

5. Do you know that the Congress of Democratic Forces on election of a sole candidate alternative to A. Lukashenko and approval of the work plan for the presidential election of 2006 will be held in early October? Over 700 delegates for this Congress were elected at open meetings in all regions of Belarus.

Variant of answer

%

Yes

20.6

No

74.7

DA/NA

4.7

6. Do you know personally the people who participated in delegate nomination for the Congress?

Variant of answer

%

I myself participated in delegate nomination

1.2

I know such people

7.3

I don’t know such people

90.7

NA

0.8

7. The official authorities hampered these meetings and now don’t permit holding of the Congress at the territory of Belarus. What is your attitude to these actions of the authorities?

Variant of answer

%

I support these actions of the authorities

11.8

I don’t support these actions of the authorities

34.8

I’m not concerned about this

34.7

DA/NA

18.7

8. Will you trust the decisions of the Congress and support the presidential candidate it will elect?

Variant of answer

%

Yes

10.3

No

24.0

I’ll see by circumstances

53.3

DA/NA

12.4

9. If you were a member of the Congress, who would you support as a sole presidential candidate for democratic forces?

Variant of answer

%

S. Shushkevich

8.7

А. Lebedko

5.9

V. Frolov

4.4

А. Voitovich

3.5

М. Marinich

3.3

А. Kozulin

2.9

S. Kalyakin

2.0

А. Milinkevich

2.0

А. Yaroshuk

1.4

А. Klimov

1.1

V. Kolos

0.9

V. Parfenovich

0.8

Other politician

1.9

No such a candidate in Belarus

0.9

DA/NA

60.3

10. Do you know anything about one of the politicians below? (more than one answer is possible)

Variant of answer

%

S. Shushkevich

50.8

А. Lebedko

30.5

V. Frolov

24.2

М. Marinich

20.7

S. Kalyakin

16.4

А. Voitovich

14.0

А. Kozulin

13.3

А. Klimov

11.2

А. Milinkevich

10.2

А. Yaroshuk

9.3

V. Kolos

9.0

V. Parfenovich

8.8

11. In his recent speech, A. Lukashenko noted the following about the presidential election: “Sorry for my straightforwardness, but I think people will support me. Do they need a pig in a poke? Why trading bad for worse? This is how every person thinks nowadays”. Do you agree with this opinion?

Variant of answer

%

Yes

50.2

No

40.5

DA/NA

9.3

12. Speaking recently at the Russian TV, A. Lukashenko stated the following: “I’m 99% certain that the Belarusian people consider the president an incorrupt and honest man.” Do you as well think that people consider A. Lukashenko an honest and incorrupt man?

Variant of answer

%

Yes

43.9

No

41.2

DA/NA

14.9

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

Variant of answer

%

Yes

57.6

No

28.8

DA/NA

13.6

14. Would you like to know more about the Belarusian opposition – political parties and other organizations, its leaders, programs, etc.?

Variant of answer

%

Yes, I’d like to

50.0

No, I wouldn’t like to

27.8

No, I’m not concerned about this

22.2

15. Did you happen to meet and talk with members of any political party over the past four years?

Variant of answer

%

No

82.1

Yes

17.5

NA

0.4

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

Variant of answer

%

Yes

17.2

No

70.4

DA/NA

12.4

17. If A. Lukashenko runs for the third presidential term and a candidate for democratic opposition stands his rival, for whom of them would you vote?

Variant of answer

%

For A. Lukashenko

47.5

For a candidate for democratic opposition

25.5

None of them

12.8

DA/NA

14.2

18. Who do you think will win the presidential election of 2006?

Variant of answer

%

А. Lukashenko

72.0

V. Frolov

0.5

А. Voitovich

0.4

А. Lebedko

0.4

S. Kalyakin

0.3

А. Klimov

0.3

А. Kozulin

0.3

Other politician (10 names, under 0.3% each)

1.2

Other variant of answer

1.5

DA/NA

23.1

19. Who or what can stop A. Lukashenko from winning the presidential election of 2006? (more than one answer is possible)

Variant of answer

%

Nothing

34.6

Aggravation of economic situation in the country

20.5

West

18.5

Willingness of the Belarusians to achieve democratic changes

16.5

Sole democratic candidate

7.6

Russia

3.4

DA

9.9

20. Are you ready to take part in street actions of protest if the results of the presidential election are falsified?

Variant of answer

%

Yes

15.4

No

76.0

DA/NA

8.6

21. Do you believe that A. Lukashenko can be dismissed from office as a result of a ‘colored revolution’ like it was in Georgia, Ukraine and Kyrgyzstan?

Variant of answer

%

Yes

14.5

No

73.7

DA/NA

11.8

22. Are you ready to take part in such an action?

Variant of answer

%

Yes

9.7

No

82.4

DA/NA

7.9

23. If the referendum on the state language takes place tomorrow in Belarus, which one would you vote for?

Variant of answer

%

Belarusian

20.1

Russian

11.2

Both Russian and Belarusian

56.0

I’m not concerned about this

10.1

DA/NA

2.6

24. Russia’s President V. Putin has recently stated: “We and Belarusians are actually one nation.” What is your attitude to this statement?

Variant of answer

%

I agree with it

56.8

I don’t agree but I take evenly this statement of V. Putin

31.7

I’m angry (insulted) at this statement of V. Putin

4.3

I’m not concerned about this

7.1

NA

0.1

25. Have you heard about the conflict over the Union of Poles in Belarus which has brought up to a sharp aggravation in relations between Belarus and Poland?

Variant of answer

%

Yes

69.9

No

29.6

NA

0.5

26. In your opinion, what is a major cause of the conflict?

Variant of answer

%

Interference of Poland and other Western countries into the internal affairs of Belarus

24.4

Attempts of the authorities to take Union’s activity under their control

19.8

Financial: old and new boards of the Union couldn’t divide the money

9.0

Violations at the congress of the Union disclosed by the Belarusian Justice Ministry

8.7

Other

0.4

DA/NA

37.7

27. In your opinion, who is guilty in escalating this conflict?

Variant of answer

%

Belarusian authorities

19.7

Polish authorities

16.7

Board of the Union of Poles

14.7

European Union

3.5

USA

8.1

DA/NA

37.3

28. Quite recently, Deputies of the European Parliament – Polish citizens coming on a business trip to Belarus to investigate the conflict over the Union of Poles – were denied entrance into the country on the grounds that their visit, in the opinion of the authorities, might “cause a national discord”. The European Union condemned this decision and underlined that it increases international isolation of Belarus. What is your attitude to all this?

Variant of answer

%

I support the actions of the Belarusian authorities

25.2

I don’t support the actions of the Belarusian authorities

32.9

I’m not concerned about this

20.2

DA/NA

21.7

29. Do you think the West is hostile towards Belarus and the Belarusians should be careful with it?

Variant of answer

%

Yes

44.4

No

42.7

DA/NA

12.9

30. Would you like to receive regularly radio and TV programs from neighboring countries (Poland, Ukraine, Lithuania and Latvia) broadcasting the events taking place in Belarus and abroad?

Variant of answer

%

Yes

58.8

No

29.0

DA/NA

12.2

31. In which language would you like to receive these programs, if any?

Variant of answer

%

In Belarusian

6.0

In Russian

42.2

In both Russian and Belarusian

20.4

DA/NA

31.4

32. From October 1, 2005 Deutsche Welle starts broadcasting at short waves a daily 30-minute radio program Belarusian Chronics. It will inform the citizens of Belarus about the events taking place in this country and abroad. In your opinion, in what language should this program go on the air?

Variant of answer

%

In Belarusian

8.9

In Russian

36.8

In both Russian and Belarusian

24.8

I’m not concerned about this

23.9

DA/NA

5.6

33. What language is your native language? (more than one answer is possible)

Variant of answer

%

Belarusian

41.5

Russian

50.8

Both Russian and Belarusian

4.6

Polish

2.5

Other language

1.3