(CPOD) Nov. 29, 2004 – The proposal tabled by Vladimir Putin to cancel the election of governors by popular vote has split public opinion in Russia, according to a poll by the Public Opinion Foundation. 34 per cent of respondents believe the idea is positive, while 28 per cent disagree.
(CPOD) Nov. 29, 2004 – The proposal tabled by Vladimir Putin to cancel the election of governors by popular vote has split public opinion in Russia, according to a poll by the Public Opinion Foundation. 34 per cent of respondents believe the idea is positive, while 28 per cent disagree.
On Sept. 13, Putin called for the elimination of direct elections for Russia’s 89 governors, who would be nominated by the head of state and approved by regional legislatures. The president said that security concerns prompted the proposal, saying, “The fight against terrorism requires the co-operation of all government departments.”
Former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev and former Russian president Boris Yeltsin have publicly criticized Putin’s plan.
Polling Data
If the governors were elected by local legislatures, rather than by the people, would it have more positive or more negative effects?
Positive | 34% |
Negative | 28% |
Hard to answer | 38% |
Source: Public Opinion Foundation
Methodology: Face-to-face interviews to 600 Russian adults, conducted on Nov. 6 and Nov. 7, 2004. Margin of error is 3.6 per cent.
