Majority of Stavropol residents give negative assessment of work of Stavropolsky Region's governor
Оpinion poll: 54% of respondents feel Ramzan Kadyrov is in control of Chechnya
СТ: - Results of a survey carried out in Grozny and Shali by the Caucasus Times.
The Caucasus Times carried out a survey between February 9 and 15 in the Chechen towns of Grozny and Shali to get people’s views on the changes that have taken place during the past year. Questions were asked about who controls the current political situation in the republic, how has the security as well as social and economic situation changed, and what is their reaction to Ramzan Kadyrov’s recent attempts at allowing polygamy. In total, 200 people were polled. The margin of error does not exceed 7%.
The positive response of 54% of the people as to who controls the political situation in the republic clearly shows that the acting Moscow-backed Chechen Premier Ramzan Kadyrov far outstrips the other political players in Chechnya. 22% thought it was the federal forces; 17% believed it to be Alu Alkhanov, the current Moscow-backed president; and only 1% thought it was Chechen warlord Shamil Basayev. Sergei Abramov, the Moscow-backed Prime Minister, received no votes at all, and 6% did not answer.
The question of Kadyrov’s attempts to permit polygamy provided the most vocal and contradictory replies, revealing a significant polarization of views. So while 34% approved the idea, 20% only somewhat did. Yet 27% strongly disapproved and 11% were mildly disapproving. Overall, 54% were pro and 38% were against.
As for the security situation, 11% saw it as having improved while 15% thought it had only improved slightly. 7% felt it had deteriorated and 12% thought it had only slightly deteriorated. Thus, in general, altogether, 26% saw an improvement while 19% did not. However, a substantial 45% believe that nothing had changed at all. A significant one-out-of-ten did not answer.
The question of socio-economic change evoked more positive views as 36% regarded the situation as being better, while 29% saw it as only slightly better. Nevertheless, 5% thought it had worsened and 9% thought it had only gotten slightly worse. Thus, altogether, 65% were positive and 14% were negative; 12% saw no change and 9% did not answer.
But responses as to whether their personal economic situation had improved were less optimistic. A majority reported no change (45%); 8% reported an improvement; and 10% felt there was slight improvement. However, 20% felt their situation had greatly worsened while 14% thought it had only worsened a little. Thus, altogether, 34% saw a worsening and 18% saw some improvement. 3% did not answer.
СТ: - Note: This survey was conducted by the Caucasus Times within the framework of a 12-month study project called "Public Opinion in North Caucasus" that is being done throughout the North-Caucasian republics and sponsored by the American foundation NED. Responses to the survey are given in percentages.
Survey: 27% of Chechens want Ramzan Kadyrov as President, 24% want Abdul-Khalim Sadullayev
CHECHNYA. 12 June, Caucasus Times. A survey taken by the Caucasus Times in the Chechen capital of Grozny between June 1-8 revealed widely differing views about Chechnya’s presidential candidates.
In answer to whom the people would prefer to see as President of Chechnya, 27% said the current Prime Minister Ramzan Kadyrov, while 24% voted for the leader of the separatists, Abdul-Khalim Sadullayev (the vast majority of those who gave the latter response were 16-27 years of age.) Approximately 12% were for the Moscow-based businessman Malik Saydullayev; the current president, Alu Alkhanov, was relegated to fourth place with only 9%. The remainder was as follows: 6% for Ruslan Khasbulatov, 4% for Shamil Basayev, 3% for Aslanbek Aslakhanov, and 2% for Russian President Vladimir Putin.
It’s interesting to note that those voting for Basayev and Putin were men; women primarily voted for Ruslan Khasbulatov. Ramzan Kadyrov’s popularity is understandable when one recalls the results of an earlier survey carried out by the Caucasus Times this past February. At that time 54% stated that Ramzan Kadyrov “controls the situation in Chechnya.”
An initiative from a Chechen parliament speaker planning the reunification of Chechnya and Ingushetia, left respondents with mixed views. 20% were “slightly in favour” and 33% were “in favour”. However, 27% were “against” and 14% “slightly against”. The remaining 6% did not answer. Thus, all those favoring some degree of reunification for the two republics was 53%. And 41% were against.
Assessing changes in the republic’s socio-economic condition during the first half of 2006, 27% said it had improved, with an additional 16% saying it had sort of improved. 19% said it had sort of worsened and only 2% said it had worsened. Another 29% saw no change during this time period, and 7% were unable to decide. Compared to the same question back in February the answers are very revealing: back then, 36% regarded the situation as having "improved" and 29% said it had “sort of improved”, while 9% answered with “sort of deteriorated”, and 5% with “deteriorated”. Thus, a significantly higher proportion of people were more optimistic six months ago.