Half of Russians are indifferent to Lukashenko's reelection, survey suggests

2006-04-16 18:00

Minsk, 16 April. Fifty-one percent of the Russian citizens are indifferent to the victory of Aleksandr Lukashenko in Belarus' March 14-19 presidential election, suggests a survey by Russia's Public Opinion Foundation (FOM).
Thirty-six percent of those interviewed on April 8 and 9 were glad of this outcome and seven percent expressed their dissatisfaction, FOM said.
Seventy-one percent of the interviewed knew that the Belarusians had held a presidential election; 18 percent had heard something about that, and 10 percent said that they had never heard of it, the foundation said.
Seventy-three percent reportedly knew that Mr. Lukashenko had been elected, three percent mentioned another name, and 13 percent said that they did not know who had been elected.
Thirty-eight percent of the interviewed agreed with the opinion that the election had been fair and unflawed. Twenty-two percent accepted the contrary point of view, and 40 percent found it difficult to answer.
Forty-seven percent believed that Mr. Lukashenko had really gained the vote percentage that the central election commission announced. Twenty-three percent believed that he had actually gotten fewer votes and 30 percent failed to give a definite reply.
Thirty-four percent were aware of the dispersal of an opposition demonstration in Minsk on March 25, 32 percent had heard something about that, and 30 percent said that they had never heard of it. Nineteen percent approved the dispersal, the same percentage condemned it, and the same percentage said that they did not care.