Minskers Getting More Optimistic and More Determined to Rely on Themselves to Make Their Life Better

2004-01-13

Following are some results of a poll conducted by BelaPAN's Sociological Service "Zerkalo" in mid-December in Minsk. All figures refer to percent.

Table 1. What is your expectation of 2004?

Table 2. Do you think your financial position can change in 2004 (in 2003 - in the poll of 2002)?

Thus, we can see that more than 30 percent of those interviewed in Minsk expect that their financial status can improve in 2004. Another 30 percent do not expect any changes, while ten percent believe that their material well-being will not be as good as in 2003.

Table 3. What do you hope for in or expect from 2004 (2000, 2001, 2002 and 2003 - in respective polls)?

* means the respective questionnaires did not have that answer

Table 3 shows that material well-being and good health still top Minskers' wish list, like in previous years. However, the situation has changed this year, because many people in the past did not expect anything from the coming year, as they did not believe that their expectations could come true, whereas the most recent poll has shown that the number of such people fell to just 12 percent.

Moreover, as it can be seen from Table 4, more than one half of interviewed Minskers rely on no one but themselves for improving their living. And still more people tend to pin their hopes for better life on someone else, such as God, parents, relatives, children, etc.

Table 4. Who do you pin your hopes on for improving your living? (Several answers can be given)

* The questionnaire did not have that answer in the respective poll

Less Minskers hope for the country's president now, just like for the help from the West and Russia. As for political parties, they have never been hopefuls in public opinion.

Table 5 shows that the percentage of people who do not support the idea of establishing a Belarusian-Russian union state has not changed much in comparison with 2002. At the same time, the share of those who are in favor of such integration model has shrunk significantly, from 49 to 35 percent. In addition, there has been a 15-percent increase among those who cannot give a specific answer to the respective question, which is rather logical, taking into account confusing integration developments and their awkward coverage in state media.

Table 5. Do you support the establishment of a Belarusian-Russian Union State?

Long ahead of parliamentary elections this fall, about one half of those interviewed already think that voting results can be rigged (Table 7). Just 29 percent are of the opposite opinion.

Also, about 45 percent have not yet decided whom to give their votes (Table 6).

Table 6. Who do you vote for in parliamentary elections in the fall of 2004?

Table 7. Do you think voting results will be rigged or not?

Methodology: The poll was conducted in Minsk among 500 people aged 18+ and selected on the basis of a quota sample according to their sex, age and education. Margin of sample error does not exceed one percent.