IISEPS — Independent Institute of Socio-Economic and Politycal Studies

RESULTS OF THE NATION OPINION POLL CONDUCTED IN MAY OF 2005
(1510 persons interviewed, margin of error doesn’t exceed 0.03)

1. In your opinion, are there any people in Belarus who could govern the country better than A. Lukashenko and his Cabinet?

Variant of answer	%
Yes	37.6
No	35.9
DA/NA	26.5

2. Imagine that the election of 2006 is free and fair, i.e. all candidates receive free access to television, freely meet the electorate, etc., like it was in 1994. Do you think A. Lukashenko will be re-elected the president or another candidate will take his seat?

Variant of answer	%
A. Lukashenko will be re-elected	55.0
Another candidate will be elected	25.7
DA/NA	19.3

3. Imagine that this is not A. Lukashenko but some other candidate who wins the next presidential election. In your opinion, what will change in this case?

Variant of answer	Improve	Won’t change	Aggravate	DA/NA
Belarus-EU relations	38.5	20.5	10.3	30.7
Degree of democratization	30.0	28.7	12.7	28.6
State and prospects of the youth	29.0	27.1	15.5	28.4
Prospects of those who work much and honestly	24.2	33.6	15.0	27.2
Human rights observance	23.2	33.9	14.2	28.7
Observance of the Constitution and the Law	21.6	34.8	13.4	30.2
Russia-Belarus relations	21.2	29.2	22.2	27.4
Living standard in your family	20.8	33.0	18.7	27.5
Equality under the law	20.3	36.3	15.5	27.9
Crime reduction	15.5	37.8	19.6	27.1
Alcohol abuse, drug abuse as well as other harmful habits	12.0	40.6	21.9	25.5

4. Have you tried to launch your own business – a company, civic initiative, public organization, etc. – over lately?

Variant of answer	%
No	82.1
Yes	17.2
NA	0.7

5. If you launched your business, how does it develop nowadays?

Variant of answer	%
Over great hardships	9.1
I had to close the business	7.5
Quite successfully	3.4
NA	80.0

6. Some influential international organizations and governments of some foreign states say that the official results of the referendum and the election to the House of Representatives held on October 17, 2004 do not correspond to the real voting results. Do you agree with this?

Variant of answer	%
Yes	38.0
No	38.0
DA/NA	24.0

7. What is your attitude to the people who publicly protest against actions of the authorities?

Variant of answer	%
Definitely support them	14.9
Rather support them	24.3
Rather don’t support them	28.0
Definitely don’t support them	21.1
DA/NA	11.7

8. There are different forms how people can uphold their interests. If you have to uphold your interests, how would you do this?

Forms of socio-political activity	Yes	No	DA/NA
Participating in election as a candidate	12.5	80.2	7.3
Participating in election as a candidate’s authorized representative	17.2	75.5	7.3
Voting at elections and referenda	85.7	9.3	5.0
Signing public petition or address	46.1	43.4	10.5
Speaking in the mass media	25.0	64.8	10.2
Addressing the authorities to solve the problem	46.6	43.7	9.7
Joining the activity of a nongovernmental organization which airs the interests of the people like me	27.2	60.6	12.2
Joining activity of a political party which airs the interests of the people like me	19.0	67.3	13.7
Taking part in a protest march	18.1	69.9	12.0
Taking part in a strike	15.4	72.4	12.2

9. During her recent trip to Russia, US State Secretary Condoleezza Rice said that "Belarus has been thrown behind because of the nature of the current power, and it cannot integrate into anywhere now. The people of Belarus deserve a better part." What is your attitude to this statement?

Variant of answer	%
Positive	29.2
Indifferent	34.9
Negative	33.3
NA	2.6

10. Who are the most responsible to make Belarus a prosperous democratic country? (only one answer is possible)

Variant of answer	%
Belarusian authorities	48.2
Belarusian people	40.0
Belarusian opposition	4.9
West	1.8
Russia	1.7
Other	1.2
NA	2.2