#8 - JRL 7305
RIA Novosti
August 28, 2003
"UNITED RUSSIA" LEADING IN ELECTORAL PREFERENCES

"Yedinaya Rossiya" political party is leading in voters' electoral preferences. 22% of the voters are ready to support it party, according to the data of sociological opinion poll, conducted by "Obshchestvennoye Mneniye" (public opinion) fund, published Thursday.

20% are ready to vote for KPRF (the Communist Party of the Russian Federation) whereas LDPR (Liberal Democratic Party of Russia) may hope for 8% voters' support. Soyuz Pravykh Sil, or SPS (Alliance of the Rightists' Forces), supported by 5% voters, and Yabloko (Apple) have a risk of not getting into the Parliament: only 4% of those polled are willing to vote for them.

The Fund observed the ratings of all parties were relatively stable in the last months. In spite of the developing pre-election campaign, not one political alliance is getting any new members, though they are not losing any old ones.

The public opinion poll was performed on August 23 according to representative choice. 1500 respondents were polled both in the cities and in the country.

The State Duma (the lower Chamber of Russian Parliament) elections are scheduled for December 7.