(Angus Reid Global Scan) – If cleared to become a presidential candidate again, Vladimir Putin could earn a third mandate as president in Russia, according to a poll by the Public Opinion Foundation. 42 per cent of respondents would vote for the incumbent if an election took place soon.
(Angus Reid Global Scan) – If cleared to become a presidential candidate again, Vladimir Putin could earn a third mandate as president in Russia, according to a poll by the Public Opinion Foundation. 42 per cent of respondents would vote for the incumbent if an election took place soon.
In March 2004, Putin won a second four-year term as president, garnering 71.31 per cent of all cast ballots. On Dec. 12, Putin signed a controversial bill that effectively eliminates the election of Russia’s 89 governors by popular vote.
Liberal Democratic Party (LDPR) leader Vladimir Zhirinovsky is second with just five per cent, followed by Communist Party (KPRF) leader Gennady Zyuganov and KPRF member Nikolai Kharitonov.
Putin is constitutionally barred from governing beyond 2008. The pro-Kremlin United Russia (YR) currently controls 222 seats in the State Duma, a fact that has led to questions over a possible change in presidential term limits.
On Mar. 18, State Duma deputy speaker Oleg Morozov—a member of United Russia—hinted at the possibility of an amendment to allow Putin to serve a third term, saying, “He really has this right, according to the Constitution, and has every ground for this: popularity, influence and the fact that he has proven to be a successful president.”
Polling Data
Imagine that presidential elections are going to be held this Sunday. Which of the following presidential candidates would you vote for?
Mar. 2005 | Feb. 2005 | |
Vladimir Putin | 42% | 41% |
Vladimir Zhirinovsky | 5% | 4% |
Gennady Zyuganov | 4% | 4% |
Nikolai Kharitonov | 3% | 2% |
Sergei Glazyev | 2% | 1% |
Dmitri Rogozin | 2% | 2% |
Sergei Shoigu | 1% | 2% |
Irina Khakamada | 1% | 1% |
Grigory Yavlinsky | 1% | 1% |
Source: Public Opinion Foundation
Methodology: Interviews to 3,000 Russian adults, conducted on Mar. 5 and Mar. 6, 2005. Margin of error is 2.5 per cent.
