(Angus Reid Global Monitor) – Many people in Russia think Vladimir Putin’s decision to head the United Russia (YR) list in this year’s election to the State Duma will increase the popularity of the party, according to a poll by the Yury Levada Analytical Center. 63 per cent of respondents expect an increase in the number of people who will vote for United Russia.
(Angus Reid Global Monitor) – Many people in Russia think Vladimir Putin’s decision to head the United Russia (YR) list in this year’s election to the State Duma will increase the popularity of the party, according to a poll by the Yury Levada Analytical Center. 63 per cent of respondents expect an increase in the number of people who will vote for United Russia.
Putin was elected to a second term as president in March 2004 with 71.31 per cent of all cast ballots. In April 2005, Putin ruled out seeking a new mandate, saying, "I will not change the constitution and in line with the constitution, you cannot run for president three times in a row." The next presidential election is tentatively scheduled for March 2008.
The next election to the State Duma is scheduled for Dec. 2. For the first time, all 450 lawmakers will be chosen through party-list proportional representation, with a seven per cent threshold. In the 2003 election, only four political parties—United Russia, the The Communist Party (KPRF), the Liberal Democratic Party (LDPR) and the Motherland – National Patriotic Union (MDRT)—received more than seven per cent of the vote.
On Oct. 1, Putin accepted an offer to lead the United Russia list in the election to the State Duma, and called the possibility of becoming prime minister "entirely realistic." 64 per cent of respondents kept the same opinion of Putin after his announcement, while 18 per cent say their opinion of the president improved.
On Oct. 18, government officials acknowledged that inflation in Russia might surpass the 10 per cent barrier next year. While the administration had expected an 8.0 per cent rate of inflation in 2007, consumer prices grew by 7.5 per cent since January and another 0.9 per cent in the first two weeks of October. Russian finance minister Alexei Kudrin declared after a cabinet meeting: "I am looking to the number named by market experts. This number is around 10 per cent." Andrei Belousov, deputy economy minister, added that inflation may exceed that number.
Polling Data
How do you expect Vladimir Putin’s decision to head the United Russia (YR) list to affect the election to the State Duma?
|
A considerable increase in the number of people who will vote for United Russia |
35% |
|
A slight increase in the number of people who will vote for United Russia |
28% |
|
No change in the number of people who will vote for United Russia will be seen |
21% |
|
A decrease in the number of people who will vote for United Russia |
3% |
|
Hard to answer |
4% |
Has your opinion of Vladimir Putin changed after his decision to head the United Russia (YR) list in the election to the State Duma?
|
My opinion of Putin improved |
18% |
|
My opinion of Putin did not change |
64% |
|
My opinion of Putin worsened |
9% |
|
Hard to answer |
10% |
Source: Yury Levada Analytical Center
Methodology: Interviews with 1,600 Russian adults, conducted from Oct. 5 to Oct. 10, 2007. No margin of error was provided.
