Lukashenka Not Justified Voters’ Hopes :: Charter'97 :: News

Hopes of 60 per cent of Minsk dwellers, who were questioned during an opinion poll concerning Lukashenka’s reelection, were not justified. This result was received during the survey carried out by staff of the sociological service “Zerkalo” of the information agency BelaPAN on the eve of the year 2004. 500 city-dwellers aged 18 and older have been questioned.

24 per cent of them (from 60 per cent) confessed that they did not have hopes even before. 36 per cent said that their hopes have not been justified. 21 per cent of the interviewed said that their hopes have not been justified unambiguously, while 15 per cent said that they “rather not justified”.

Giving reasons for their answers, 79 per sent of people who said that their hopes had not been satisfied, mentioned inflation, rising costs, 44 % pointed to escalation of unemployment. More than one third talked about violations of human rights (39 %) and health care system deterioration (35 %). Every forth person mentioned increase in crime, corruption (27 %), thrive of lawlessness (24 %), and persecution of independent mass media and opposition members (24 %). According 22 per cent of the respondents, the process of returning to the USSR is going on. 16 per cent reminded about missing people.

About 23 per cent of the respondents said that their hopes pinned on Lukashenka’s election as president have justified. 84 % of them said that there are no social conflicts and terrorism in the country, 71 % noted absence of enmity between different nationalities and denominations, 43 per cent gave emphasis to the integration process with Russia, and 40 per cent paid attention to the struggle with corruption and delinquency. 14 per cent told about constant growth of well-being standard (increase of wages, pensions and so on). 9 per cent told about low unemployment and 4 per cent observed that health care system works better.

17 per cent of Minsk dwellers could not give an answer to the question whether their hopes related to Lukashenka’s election a president had been justified or not.