May 11, 2008

Abstract: (Angus Reid Global Monitor) – Two-in-five people in Belarus think their country’s separation from the Soviet Union brought them personal benefits, according to a poll by the Independent Institute for Social, Economic and Political Studies (IISEPS). 43.1 per cent of respondents say they have won with Belarus’s independence, while 25.8 say they have lost as a result of it.

(Angus Reid Global Monitor) – Two-in-five people in Belarus think their country’s separation from the Soviet Union brought them personal benefits, according to a poll by the Independent Institute for Social, Economic and Political Studies (IISEPS). 43.1 per cent of respondents say they have won with Belarus’s independence, while 25.8 say they have lost as a result of it.

Belarus seceded from the Soviet Union in 1991. In 1994, independent candidate Aleksandr Lukashenko won the presidential election, boosted by his popularity after acting as chairman of an anti-corruption parliamentary committee. Lukashenko remains the country’s president to this day.

In late 1999, Lukashenko and then Russian president Vladimir Putin signed a bilateral treaty, where the two nations agreed to eventually merge their tax systems and currencies.

In early 2007, Belarus and Russia’s relations were strained by a conflict over the price of oil and natural gas. Russia doubled the price of its gas—which Belarus largely depends on—and imposed a high duty on oil exports. Belarus responded by imposing an expensive tax on Russian gas in January. The impasse affected several European countries that depend on Russian oil exports, which are transported through Belarus.

On Apr. 24, Lukashenko said that Russia is still a strategic ally of his country, adding, "The development of the Union State is an objective process, which meets the interests and follows the wishes of both peoples. No matter how hard it may be, we will try to resolve problems in the Belarus-Russia Union with the new Russian administration as much as possible."

On May 7, Dmitry Medvedev took over as Russia’s president, while Putin became the country’s new prime minister.

Polling Data

Have you personally won or lost due to the fact that Belarus became an independent country?

I have won	43.1%
I have lost	25.8%
Not sure / No answer	31.1%

Source: Independent Institute for Social, Economic and Political Studies (IISEPS)
Methodology: Interviews with 1,531 Belarusian adults, conducted from Mar. 3 to Mar. 13, 2008. No margin of error was provided.