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Angus Reid Global Scan, Canada
July 28 2005
Lukashenko is Best Friend for Russians
CREDIT: UN/DPI Photo
Aleksandr Lukashenko
(Angus Reid Global Scan) - Many adults in Russia have a positive
opinion of the current Belarusian president, according to a poll by
the All-Russian Public Opinion Research Center. 52 per cent of
respondents believe Aleksandr Lukashenko is friendly towards Russia.
Kazakhstan's Nursultan Nazarbayev is second on the list of amicable
heads of state with 49 per cent, followed by Ilham Aliyev of
Azerbaijan with 36 per cent, Robert Kocharian of Armenia with 25 per
cent, Emomali Rakhmonov of Tajikistan with 20 per cent, Saparmurat
Niyazov of Turkmenistan with 19 per cent, and recently-elected
Kurmanbek Bakiyev of Kyrgyzstan with 17 per cent. Russians gave the
lowest "friendship" numbers to Ukraine's Viktor Yushchenko, Moldova's
Vladimir Voronin and Georgia's Mikhail Saakashvili.
On Jul. 26, Russian president Vladimir Putin voiced his support for a
proposed economic unification of Russia and Belarus, saying, "Russia
needs the union. We need it in a geopolitical sense and most
important of all, we are a single nation on the whole. (...) In a
broad sense, we are a single nation and we will only benefit if we
unite, having gained advantages in relations with other countries."
Putin and Lukashenko signed a bilateral treaty in late 1999, where
the two nations agreed to eventually merge their tax systems and
currencies. An actual constitution for the proposed union has not
been drafted.
Belarusian voters renewed their House of Representatives in October
2004. A report by the Organization for Security and Co-operation in
Europe (OSCE) stated that the "democratic principles were largely
disregarded by the authorities. Many candidates were actively
excluded from registering or were deregistered, which limited the
choice of voters."
In May, United States president George W. Bush referred to Belarus as
"the last remaining dictatorship in Europe," adding, "When the
elections come, make sure the elections are free, and have monitors
and international observers. As you know, that made a big difference
in the Ukraine."
Polling Data
Would you say the following presidents are friendly or unfriendly
toward Russia?
Friendly (F) Unfriendly (UF) Not sure (NS)
Aleksandr Lukashenko (Belarus)
52% 22% 26%
Nursultan Nazarbayev (Kazakhstan)
49% 15% 35%
Ilham Aliyev (Azerbaijan)
36% 19% 45%
Robert Kocharian (Armenia)
25% 24% 49%
Emomali Rakhmonov (Tajikistan)
20% 24% 56%
Saparmurat Niyazov (Turkmenistan)
19% 24% 57%
Kurmanbek Bakiyev (Kyrgyzstan)
17% 24% 58%
Viktor Yushchenko (Ukraine)
15% 53% 32%
Vladimir Voronin (Moldova)
11% 38% 51%
Mikhail Saakashvili (Georgia)
10% 55% 34%
Source: All-Russian Public Opinion Research Center
Methodology: Interviews to 1,600 Russian adults, conducted on Jul. 16
and Jul. 17, 2005. Margin of error is 3.4 per cent.
July 28 2005
Lukashenko is Best Friend for Russians
CREDIT: UN/DPI Photo
Aleksandr Lukashenko
(Angus Reid Global Scan) - Many adults in Russia have a positive
opinion of the current Belarusian president, according to a poll by
the All-Russian Public Opinion Research Center. 52 per cent of
respondents believe Aleksandr Lukashenko is friendly towards Russia.
Kazakhstan's Nursultan Nazarbayev is second on the list of amicable
heads of state with 49 per cent, followed by Ilham Aliyev of
Azerbaijan with 36 per cent, Robert Kocharian of Armenia with 25 per
cent, Emomali Rakhmonov of Tajikistan with 20 per cent, Saparmurat
Niyazov of Turkmenistan with 19 per cent, and recently-elected
Kurmanbek Bakiyev of Kyrgyzstan with 17 per cent. Russians gave the
lowest "friendship" numbers to Ukraine's Viktor Yushchenko, Moldova's
Vladimir Voronin and Georgia's Mikhail Saakashvili.
On Jul. 26, Russian president Vladimir Putin voiced his support for a
proposed economic unification of Russia and Belarus, saying, "Russia
needs the union. We need it in a geopolitical sense and most
important of all, we are a single nation on the whole. (...) In a
broad sense, we are a single nation and we will only benefit if we
unite, having gained advantages in relations with other countries."
Putin and Lukashenko signed a bilateral treaty in late 1999, where
the two nations agreed to eventually merge their tax systems and
currencies. An actual constitution for the proposed union has not
been drafted.
Belarusian voters renewed their House of Representatives in October
2004. A report by the Organization for Security and Co-operation in
Europe (OSCE) stated that the "democratic principles were largely
disregarded by the authorities. Many candidates were actively
excluded from registering or were deregistered, which limited the
choice of voters."
In May, United States president George W. Bush referred to Belarus as
"the last remaining dictatorship in Europe," adding, "When the
elections come, make sure the elections are free, and have monitors
and international observers. As you know, that made a big difference
in the Ukraine."
Polling Data
Would you say the following presidents are friendly or unfriendly
toward Russia?
Friendly (F) Unfriendly (UF) Not sure (NS)
Aleksandr Lukashenko (Belarus)
52% 22% 26%
Nursultan Nazarbayev (Kazakhstan)
49% 15% 35%
Ilham Aliyev (Azerbaijan)
36% 19% 45%
Robert Kocharian (Armenia)
25% 24% 49%
Emomali Rakhmonov (Tajikistan)
20% 24% 56%
Saparmurat Niyazov (Turkmenistan)
19% 24% 57%
Kurmanbek Bakiyev (Kyrgyzstan)
17% 24% 58%
Viktor Yushchenko (Ukraine)
15% 53% 32%
Vladimir Voronin (Moldova)
11% 38% 51%
Mikhail Saakashvili (Georgia)
10% 55% 34%
Source: All-Russian Public Opinion Research Center
Methodology: Interviews to 1,600 Russian adults, conducted on Jul. 16
and Jul. 17, 2005. Margin of error is 3.4 per cent.