BESLAN TRAGEDY: PEOPLE'S ATTITUDES

ABOUT HALF OF NAZRAN RESIDENTS CONSIDER RELATIONS WITH NORTH OSSETIA TO BE INGUSHETIA’S MOST ACUTE PROBLEM

Results of a survey of residents of Nazran carried out by the "Caucasus Times" agency.

(Caucasus Times) – From October 25 to 30 2005, the Caucasus Times conducted a lightning survey of 200 residents of Ingushetia’s largest city, Nazran. The age of the respondents ranged from 16 to 65.

(According to the data of the All-Russian population census held on October 9, 2002, the population of the city of Nazran, including the inhabitants of the municipal districts, comprises more than one quarter of the population of the entire republic).

The results of the survey attest to the fact that the residents of Nazran, like the populations of other North-Caucasian republics, perceive the most acute problems of Ingushetia to lie both in the social and economic sphere (60%) and in the area of security (53%) - (crime and terrorism). At the same time, the specific character of Ingushetia manifested itself in the fact that the third most serious problem was considered to be relations with North Ossetia regarding the Prigorodny district (45%). Among the other problems mentioned as being significant for the population were religion (7%), the authorities (2%), and corruption (2%).

More than half of those questioned expressed pessimism about the immediate prospects for the republic’s development.

Thus, 36% of respondents believe that the overall situation in the republic will deteriorate in the near future, while only 22% hold a directly opposite opinion. A considerable proportion of those questioned (26%) do not expect any substantial changes. 16% of respondents had difficulty in giving an answer to this question.

A majority of those questioned take a very negative view of the political innovations introduced by the Kremlin involving the abolition of elected heads of regions and their appointment from the centre.

Thus, 32% of those questioned consider that this will lead to new problems, 28% are certain assured that it will aggravate existing problems, and only 20% of those questioned think that the abolition of elected regional heads and their appointment directly from the Kremlin will stabilize the situation in the republic

The survey revealed a high degree of dissatisfaction in society at large, and as a consequence, a willingness on the part of a rather large section of the population to defend its interests via participation in various forms of protest action.

Thus, in response to the question “Are you ready to take part in anti-government actions if your dissatisfaction with authority increases?”, 13% of those questioned said they were ready, and 17% said they were "probably ready". So the total number of those who are ready or probably ready to participate in anti-government actions comprises 30% of those questioned. At the same time, in spite of a widespread pessimism and dissatisfaction with their social and economic position, 47% of respondents excluded any possibility of their participation in such actions and 14% said they were "probably not ready". 9% of respondents had difficulty in giving an answer to this question.

It is noteworthy that the distribution of answers to this question is typical of almost all the republics of the North Caucasus.