LATEST POLL RESULTS
ORT, Analiticheskaya Programma Sergeya Dorenko, February 5, 2000, 21:00
The Public Opinion Foundation has conducted a poll among residents of the Russian Federation, asking whom people would support if the presidential election were held this weekend. First place was taken by Vladimir Putin, as usual, with 53% (54% last week). Gennady Zyuganov took second place, with 14%. Yevgeny Primakov collected 6% (7% last week).
Fourth place went to Vladimir Zhirinovsky; his rating has increased from 3% to 4%. Yavlinsky’s rating has decreased from 4% to 3% in the past week. Aman Tuleev is in sixth place: his rating has doubled, from 1% to 2%. Alexander Lebed and Konstantin Titov collected 1% each.
This week Yevgeny Primakov formally and officially refused to run for president of the Russian Federation.
HE IS NEITHER RIGHT NOR LEFT – BUT WE WILL VOTE FOR HIM
TV Center, Nedelya, February 5, 2000, 20:00
Yevgeny Primakov has refused to run for president. A week ago he was silent, trying to heighten the impact of his decision. The presidential front-runner will surely make use of this impact: Putin’s chances of winning the presidential election have increased.
At the same time, the need to get some idea of the world-view of the new leader has correspondingly increased. The Agency for Regional Political Research has conducted a poll asking respondents about the political orientation of acting President Vladimir Putin. The results are rather interesting. Only a few respondents think that Vladimir Putin supports the right (14%). About 21% of respondents consider him a centrist. This means that the public does not consider him a moderate and just political peacemaker. But it is possible that public opinion about Vladimir Putin will change. At the same time, there are those who consider him a leftist (about 6% of respondents). The majority of these people live in Moscow and St. Petersburg; about 16% of respondents who live in these two cities consider him a leftist.
The proportion of those who cannot determine Putin’s political orientation is the largest: 59%.
Two facts should be noted. Firstly, those who consider Vladimir Putin to be a leftist tend to live in Moscow and St. Petersburg; in other words, in the locations where people have maximal access to information, comments, magazines, newspapers, radio and TV channels. Secondly, 59% of the population cannot specify Putin’s orientation. This number coincides with the number of people who are ready to vote for him in the presidential elections. The paradox is that these people are ready to vote for him because he is neither right nor left. He is nobody. Vladimir Putin avoids expressing his points of view. It is a reasonable position.
TERRORISTS IN MOSCOW AGAIN
Russian Television, Vesti, February 5, 2000, 21:00
On February 5 all Russian news agencies circulated reports that a group of terrorists had penetrated Moscow. Security services are searching for a MAZ or KamAZ truck used by terrorists to deliver TNT to Moscow.
According to the Main Department of the Interior, more than 200 kilograms of TNT were brought to Moscow. Currently police are checking all buildings which could become the targets of terrorist acts. Despite this, information security services deny any preparations by terrorists for terrorist acts in Moscow.
