Majority of Stavropol residents give negative assessment of work of Stavropolsky Region's governor

In response to the question about how the overall situation in the Stavropolsky Region may change in the near future, the overwhelming majority of those asked showed expectations of restrained pessimism. Thus, 51% of respondents think that the situation will not change substantially, while 30% are convinced that it will deteriorate. Only 13% of respondents were optimistic, stating that the situation will improve. 6% of those asked found it difficult to answer this question.

The majority of participants in the survey are very critically disposed with regard to Moscow’s initiative on the abolition of the election of regional heads, and their appointment from the centre. Thus, 31% think that this will lead to new problems, while 15% consider that it will only aggravate the existing problems. At the same time, about a quarter of those asked (24%) expressed confidence in the fact that this measure is stabilizing the situation in the Stavropolsky Region, which most probably bears witness less to the confidence of the respondents in the policy of the centre, than to their distrust of the local authorities.

Although the practice of the abolition of elected regional heads and their appointment directly from the Kremlin has already been in effect for quite a long time, a substantial part of the population, is still not sure of its attitude to this innovation by the federal centre. Almost a third of those canvassed (30%) found it difficult to give an answer to the question about the possible consequences of this innovation.

* * *

For the overwhelming majority of respondents (83%), television was the main source of information about current events, slightly ahead of radio, in second place (32%). Newspapers keep an important place as sources of information (23%), as also does contact with the friends and relatives (23%). 7% indicated the Internet as their basic information source, and 6% - international television. Only 1% of those asked named international radio as their primary source of information.

Note: This survey was conducted within the framework of a 12- month study project called "Public Opinion in the North Caucasus", which is being carried out in all the North-Caucasian republics with the financial support of the American foundation NED. The distribution of replies to the questions of the survey is given in percentages. Two versions of a reply were allowed for some of the questions.