As Table 1 shows, today 54% of the voters believe that our country develops in a wrong direction. The number of those who think in the opposite is 2fold lower. A year ago – right after the presidential election – the groups were almost equal in number. It seems that the expectations of the electorate have not come true, the president could not or has not wanted to fulfil his election promises, and even official statistics prove it. So, a real monthly wage (taking into account the inflation rate) has dropped by more than 10% in January-November 2002.
Table 1. Dynamics of distribution of answers to the question: “Do you think our country has been developing in the right or a wrong direction?”, %
The authorities have failed to cover up enormous backpays, although severe measures have been promised publicly. In particular, Table 2 shows that in the past year 57% of the respondents have face the problem. And the majority of them (48.2%) – has faced it repeatedly.
Table 2. Distribution of answers to the question: “How many time over the last 12 months have you faced the problem of backpay?”
The populations has become more pessimistic about its material status. As Table 3 demonstrates, the number of those who believe that their incomes do not allow them to buy necessary food products, clothing and make big purchases has increased over the past year. At the same time the number of those who think their incomes barely or fully allow all that has also dropped.
Table 3. Dynamics of distribution of answers to the question: “Do you present incomes allow you (your family):”, %
| Variant of answer |
Do not allow
|
Hardly allow
|
Fully allow
|
|
10’01
|
12’02
|
10’01
|
12’02
|
10’01
|
12’02
|
| To buy sufficient food products |
11.0
|
13.6
|
48.3
|
47.0
|
40.1
|
39.2
|
| To buy clothing, footwear |
26.6
|
29.5
|
55.6
|
53.0
|
17.2
|
17.0
|
| To make bigger purchases (furniture, car, apartment) |
81.0
|
85.8
|
14.8
|
11.6
|
2.6
|
2.1
|
Probably, that is why more than half of the voters does not agree with repeated statements by the president about the correctness of the current economic course of the country. Today 56% of the population think this way (and only 20% of Belarusians stick to the opposite).
Even more respondents (64.1%) are certain the Belarusian economy needs large-scale reforms, i.e. decrease of state control, development of private enterprise, improvement of conditions for foreign investments.
Table 4 shows that there are much more voters who understand that nothing can be expected from state price setting policy, because repeated attempts by the authorities in the given direction have failed to curb inflation and a fall in the consumer power of the population. At least over the last three years the ratio of those who think this way has gone up more than twofold and reached one third of the electorate.
Table 4. Dynamics of distribution of answers to the question: “Shall the state set prices for goods and services?”, %
Table 5. Dynamics of distribution of answers to the question: “How is the social-economic situation in Belarus going to change in the years to come?”, %
We see no optimism in the population about a possible improvement of the social-economic situation in the country. Table 5 clearly demonstrates that. As we can notice, only every eighth respondent believes the situation can improve. Almost every second thinks in the opposite, and every third is certain the situation is not going to change. In other words, the population is rather pessimistic about the economic future. And this pessimism has intensified.
