Majority of Stavropol residents give negative assessment of work of Stavropolsky Region's governor
Only 5% of respondents gave the Abkhazian leadership “negative” or “rather negative” assessment. Those critically-minded respondents believe that Abkhazian leaders don’t pay sufficient attention to economic and social issues excessively focusing instead on the issue of the status of Abkhazia. In their view, President of Abkhazia Sergei Bagapsh should at the same time pay adequate attention to major social and economic issues. In addition, part of critically-minded respondents consider that Abkhazian authorities are corrupt. Quite big number of those polled (12%) reported difficulties in answering this question.
Respondents gave rather mixed opinions assessing changes in social and economic sphere in Abkhazia in the first half of 2006. 33% of respondents felt that situation in this field “rather improved” while 12% said that the situation “improved”. Positive or “rather positive” evaluation of changes in social and economic sphere was given by the representatives of all demographic and professional groups. Majority of them noticed that the situation improved due to the activities of the ordinary people.
Number of those who tend to evaluate changes in this sphere negatively makes up around one third of the population. More specifically, 21% of respondents indicated that situation “rather deteriorated” and 10% - “deteriorated”. In view of 18% of repondents, there were no changes in social and economic conditions in Abkhazia during last six months. 6% found it hard to provide answer to this question.
Reviewing changes in security situation in Abkhazia for the first half of 2006, overwhelming majority of respondents (74%) reported negative assessment. Among those critically-minded respondents 43% felt that the situation “rather deteriorated” and 31% - “deteriorated”. Women and older people dominated among those respondents who were negative about changes in security situation.
Positive assessment was given by just 11% of respondents - among them, 4% reported that situation “improved” and 7% stated that it “rather improved”. 11% felt that there were no major changes in security sphere. 4% of respondents could not answer this question.
This public opinion poll has been conducted in the framework of 12-month research project “Public Opinion in the North Caucasus”, which covers all North Caucasus republics. This project is financed by NED. Sample size was 400. Answers to all questions are indicated in percentages.
PEOPLE OF ADYGEA WANT SOVMEN AND ARE DISSATISFIED WITH FEDERAL CENTER
PRAGUE. On 19-24 October 2006 Caucasus Times conducted public opinion poll among 400 residents of the capital of the Republic of Adygea Maikop in the age category 16 – 65 years old (in total, 209 females and 191 males have been polled). Representatives of local intelligentsia, students, employees, workers, pensioneers as well as as representatives of different ethnic groups living in Adygea (including Adygeans, Russians, Greeks, Tatars, Armenians, Ossetians etc.) were among those who participated in the public opinion poll.
Results of the opinion poll in Maikop demonstrated the dominance of cautious optimism in the local society about social and economic situation of the republic as well as rather positive attitudes of the majority of respondents of Maikop towards present republican leadership headed by the President Khazret Sovmen. Attitudes of the population towards the policy of the federal center in the North Caucasus region proved to be a bit more critical.
Thus, 38% of those polled rated Khazret Sovmen’s presidency in the “positive” range; 21% - in “rather positive” range and only 13% estimated his presidency “negatively” and 16% - “rather negatively”. 12% of respondents found it hard to provide clear answer to this question. In total, number of all those who estimated Sovmen’s activities positively or rather positively equals to 59% while number of respondents who gave critical assessment of his presidency is 29%. It seems that such favorable attitudes of the majority of respondents towards current Adygean President mostly stems from certain positive changes in social and economic sphere which have been reached in Adygea during his term in office. Thus, many respondents explaining their positive attitudes towards Sovmen, noticed “stability”, “order” and “certain improvements in real life” as well as “support to veterans and old people”, which they tended to connect with the policy of current Adygean President.
