Belarusians reduced to indigence and do not trust government

The economic crisis has become problem number one for most Belarusians. Mistrust to authorities is growing.

People think that Lukashenka’s regime is not able to deal with the difficult situation and defend only bureaucrats’ interests.

This was the result of survey by the Independent Institute of Social and Economic research in December 2009 (1514 persons are interrogated, coverage error does not exceed 3%).

Thus, 81.3% believe that the Belarusian economy is in the crisis state, for 52.4% the year 2009 was harder than 2008 (is was easier only for 7.6%), and for 41.8% the crisis “influences the everyday life of families in most serious way” (only for 10.8% it hasn’t told on them).

For instance, 28.7% in the last 12 months faced back pays or backdated pensions (19% several times or every month), from 54% to 61% of the questioned had to postpone purchase or cut expenses for buying a TV set or a computer, or for vacations.

Among the most acute problems faced by our citizens, about 80% of respondents named price growth, 42.6% impoverishment of the population, 39.5% unemployment, 34.4% decline in production, 25.5% corruption, and bribes. The crisis has also revealed fundamental changes in the structure of the Belarusian society over the last ten years: according to about 40% of persons questioned in the poll, the poor in Belarus were the ones who has suffered from the crisis most, that is, those “common people” that were the hope and support of Alyaksandr Lukashenka once (only 3.3% said that government institutions workers and officials had been affected by the crisis most).

No wonder tat much more Belarusians believe that other countries are more successful in fighting the economic crisis then in Belarus (42.1$ vs 30.$%), and the crisis in the Belarusian economy is partially or fully attributed to the consequences of the economic policy of the government leadership by more than a half of the population (51.6%). So, despite of the cheerful statements of the authorities, more than a half of the population (51.5%) expects the end of the crisis no sooner than in a year (and about one forth after 2011).

The growing feeling of social justice infringement (“the current regime expresses interests of bureaucrats and officials”) receives more visible political undertones: more and more citizens feel themselves “on the sidelines”. Thus, about a half of the population (47.9%) the notion of democracy, like in most countries of the world, is primarily connected with the just system of state governance with equal participation of all citizens (only 17.2% agree that it is “empty talk, soapbox oratory”). However to the question: “What influence could you exert on the things happening in your district, in your street?” 51.8% honestly said “no influence”, 62.7% have no influence in their towns (cities, villages), and 72.7% in the country in general.

The comparative analysis shows that the feeling of “unwanted people” is constantly propagating throughout the society: while in May 2005 54.5% of people believed that “people like me cannot influence the decisions adopted by authorities in our country”, now there are 71.9% of such people. 32.4% people believes then that “people like me cannot express their political views freely”, and now there are 45.4% of such people; there were 33.1% of people who believed that “people like me cannot influence the way their life is shaping” then, now there are 44.1% of such people.

Unsurprisingly most of the pollees (43.6%) do not believe that recent changes in the electoral code would improve the level of democracy in the elections in Belarus (only 29.8% agree with that). The growing gap between the authorities and the people probably explains the critical sentiments of people in the issues which are far from politics. Thus, about three thirds of the respondents (74%) believe that the actions of the authorities during the autumn outbreak of swine flu were absolutely ineffective or not enough effective (effective treatment was not organized, medicines and protective means was not provided, information about the real size of the epidemic was concealed and thus caused panic among the population).