#4
Kommersant
November 28, 2002
PUTIN: A PRESIDENT OF HOPE, NOT A PRESIDENT OF SUCCESS
Vladimir Putin sets a new record of popularity
Author: Yelena Tregubova
[from WPS Monitoring Agency, www.wps.ru/e_index.html]
QUOTING RESULTS OF AN OPINION POLL CONDUCTED BY THE NATIONAL PUBLIC OPINION
RESEARCH CENTER, THE INTERFAX NEWS AGENCY CLAIMS THAT 83% OF RUSSIANS APPROVE OF
VLADIMIR PUTIN AND HIS PERFORMANCE. THIS IS A RECORD. BUT INTERFAX DID NOT
PUBLISH A VITAL PART OF THE INFORMATION OBTAINED IN THE POLL.
While there is some criticism of Putin, support for him remains high.
Quoting results of an opinion poll conducted by the National Public Opinion
Research Center, the Interfax news agency claims that 83% of Russians approve of
Vladimir Putin and his performance. This is a record. Senior analyst Yuri Levada
says, however, that the news agency did not publish a vital part of the
information obtained in the course of the opinion poll. This data changes the
overall picture somewhat.
In fact, 49% of respondents dislike how Vladimir Putin "is restoring
order in the country", and only 47% like the way the president is going
about it. Only 33% Russians like what the president has been doing "to
rebuild the economy and increase the prosperity of the population", while
62% remain dissatisfied with his efforts in this area. Dislike of how Putin
"defends democracy and political liberties" is professed by 40% of
respondents. The president's achievements in the sphere of "peaceful
settlement in Chechnya" are criticized by 74%. Even Putin's activities
aimed at "destroying the Chechen guerrillas" are condemned as
ineffective by 74% of respondents.
Yuri Levada, President of the National Public Opinion Research Center (VTsIOM),
is convinced that the president's improved approval rating is a result of the
hostage crisis in Moscow and pro- presidential commentaries in the
state-controlled media. According to VTsIOM, Putin's rating was 77% or
approximately equal to the rating registered in September.
Levada emphasizes, however, that Russians' appraisal of the hostage crisis in
Moscow is also unequivocal: 75% of respondents say that senior officials of the
Interior Ministry, Federal Security Service, and other security structures
should be prosecuted for having permitted armed terrorists to come to the center
of Moscow. Respondents were asked to share their opinions about why Putin did
not take any measures against security structures: 26% attributed it to
"corruption in the police, security structures, and corridors of
power" while 19% more assumed that the authorities feared to challenge the
security structures since they themselves depended on the latter.
It follows that even though the public in general takes a negative view of
what happened in Moscow, the level of confidence in Putin went up somewhat.
Levada explains it in the following manner. "Putin is a president of hope,
not a president of success," he said. For the time being, the citizenry is
prepared to forgive him for the lack of success in realization of its hopes.
We asked Levada whether Putin would be able to retain his high rating until
the 2004 presidential race.
Levada: Who says no one will prepare some sort of new event for the election?
I mean a development involving the security structures...
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