Survey in Kabardino-Balkaria: 58% of balkarians are ready to participate in protest actions

According to the results of the opinion poll, 48% consider television as their major source of news and information. Among the most popular TV channels were REN-TV, NTV, 5 Channel of St.Petersburg and to somewhat lesser extent ORT and RTR. 12% prefer international TV (mostly EuroNews broadcasting in Russian) as their main information source. 12% reported using newspapers, mostly “Nezavisimaya Gazeta” and “Kommersant” as their major information sources. The respondents especially welcomed critical focus and investigative reporting in mass media.

Almost one quarter of those polled (23%) prefer using web sites as sources of information. Mostly younger people in age category younger 37 years old tend to use Internet as their primary news sources. Respondents indicated that in most cases they use such Russian web resources as yandex, mail и rambler, which, in their view, provide both domestic and international news and information in timely and reliable manner.

5% of respondents, mostly representatives of a younger generation, receive information from their friends and family members. This group turned out to be much less interested in political and social life. Opinions of this group are to a major extent shaped by political and cultural preferences of their older relatives.

In total, 100 respondents (46 females and 54 males), mostly representatives of intelligentsia, entrepreneurs, students, workers and pensioners older 16 have been polled in Cherkessk.

Opinion poll in Makhachkala: 72% believe duma elections will not have impact on situation in dagestan; 23% think special services are guilty for increased violence in the republic

PRAGUE, 11 December - On 23-27 November 2007 information agency “Caucasus Times” held public opinion poll aimed to explore attitudes of the local population towards parliamentary and presidential elections in Russia as well as towards changes in social, economic and security situation in the republic during the rule of M. Aliev. Separate question was asked to get people’s opinion about who is responsible for the increased wave of violence in Dagestan in recent time. Apart from that, separate question on major sources of information used by people in Makhachkala was asked during the poll.

Question on whether State Duma elections are going to have any impact on situation in Dagestan showed high level of skepticism of the local population towards the parliamentary elections and main legislative body of Russia. 72% of those polled stated that Duma elections would not have any impact on their republic, which is much higher than in other republics in the North Caucasus, where hopes for some changes as a result of Duma elections are significantly higher. Thus, results of opinion poll in the Ingushetian capital Nazran showed that 51% of respondents in Nazran are sure that Duma elections will not have influence on Ingushetia. Only 5% of respondents in Dagestan believe that Duma elections will have positive impact on their republic and 1% - “rather positive” impact. Much more respondents in Dagestan were pessimistic about the consequences of Duma elections. 14% are sure that elections will have negative and 7% - rather negative impact. Only 1% reported difficulties in answering this question.