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Centralno-Chernozemnyi
- Voters here are slightly below average in terms of their interest in politics and government (29% interested - 70% not interested) and exhibit high levels of dissatisfaction with the situation in the Russian Federation (6% satisfied - 87% dissatisfied).
- Their reasons for dissatisfaction are, for the most part, less intense than the national results. 55% mention inflation (-7%), 37% crime (-14%), 46% standard of living (-4%), 38% the situation in Chechnya (+2%), 18% chaos/instability (-14%), and 27% social and moral decay (-10%).
- Here, quality of life issues (19%) top the issue agenda followed by the economy (16%), peace (10%), ethnic conflicts (7%) and high prices (7%).
- The view of the political situation is on a par with the rest of the nation as 17% say the situation will get better and 32% say it will worsen. 20% say the economy will get better, 38% that it will get worse, and 27% that it will stay the same.
- These voters are less likely than the average to say that economic reforms should continue (15%) and to say the country should return to a system where the state controls much of the economy (46%). Nearly one in five (19%) don't know.
- A plurality (46%) say that Russia is a democracy and 39% say it is not.
- As in most regions, respondents are evenly divided on whether political power in the country should be centralized (35%) or decentralized (31%).
- Voters in this region are far less likely to say that Russia should be her own model for development (17% - 13% below average). Nearly as many (16%) say the United States (14%) as a model for development and 8% say Sweden. Germany is lower than usual at 4%.
- As in all regions, voters in the region have a more western than eastern orientation. 30% say Russia would benefit from an orientation toward the West, 9% say the East, 14% say both, and 20% neither.
- Voters here claim to be somewhat less reliant on media organizations or personalities (49%) and more reliant on themselves (25%) for information when making voting decisions. 82% say National Channel 1 is useful and 79% call Channel 2 useful. Fewer than normal say that local television programs (19%), local radio programs (46%), and discussions with friends and family (55%). 69% say that newspapers are useful sources. Although the top two sources are National Channel 1 (34%) and discussions with friends and family (11%), these numbers are low and 24% don't know which source is most important.
Institutions and Officials
- A 50% majority say that official corruption is very common and 30% fairly common. Only 7% say corruption is rare. Also, 59% say that elected officials in Moscow are only interested in helping themselves and 6% say they are interested in improving our lives. A 55% majority say their elected officials are not capable of making any improvement in their circumstances and 37% say they can make a difference.
- President Yeltsin's job approval in this region is below average at 14% while 69% disapprove. Just 20% approve of the State Duma's performance and 48% disapprove. Fewer can rate the Federation Council as 16% approve and 37% disapprove.
Attitudes Toward the Electoral System
- Skepticism regarding free and fair elections is lower than average in this region. That is, 50% believe there was at least some fraud in 1993 (-6%) and just 39% say there will be fraud in the 1995 elections (-9%).
- Those who believe fraud will occur give potential sources the following distribution:
15%
|
Central Election Commission
|
7%
|
Executive Branch
|
6%
|
Other central authorities
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14%
|
Local election offices
|
4%
|
Local executive authorities
|
8%
|
Political parties
|
10%
|
Local candidate organizations
|
21%
|
All of these
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- Although few voters in this region witnessed any improper or fraudulent voting acts, an above-average number (5%) witnessed financial incentives being offered to voters. 4% saw poll watchers or local/election officials try to influence votes, and 6% say they felt their ballot wouldn't be kept secret. Group voting, was at 15%.
- Knowledge about the Central Election Commission is lower in this region as only 5% have read or heard a fair amount or more and 61% have heard nothing at all (+10%).
- Support for the computerization of elections is below-average but still a majority as 68% are in favor (51% quite a lot) and only 12% are opposed.
- A 48% plurality of voters in this region who have an opinion oppose allowing candidates for the State Duma (48%), the Federation Council (48%) and the Presidency (53%) to receive private contributions. High percentages (29% average) have no opinion. A 53% majority say that a ceiling should be established for such contributions. 63% support a minimum voting threshold for validating elections.
- Voters in the Centralno-Chernozemnyi region show high «don't know» responses when asked about means of selecting the State Duma and Federation Council representatives. 15% would like to increase the number of Duma representatives who are elected from party lists, 6% want more from single mandate constituencies, 24% would like the system to stay the same and 52% don't know.
- A 50% majority say the Federation Council should be directly elected, 12% call for indirect elections, and 6% think members should be appointed by the President. 30% don't know.
Voting Patterns
- Projected turnout for the Duma elections in Centralno-Chernozemnyi is below the national average. Overall, 66% say they will vote and 21% will not. The percentage of those saying they are certain to vote (32%) is 9% below average.
- Planned turnout for the presidential elections is also below average at 69% (-7%). Only 40% say they definitely will vote as compared with the national average of 46%. Only 24% of those age 17-35 are likely voters.
- Vote efficacy in the region is fairly low as only 49% believe that by voting, people can actually change something in the life of our country and 43% say this is not possible.
- The following table rank orders the results of the Presidential ballot test in the region. As with other variables, a high number of voters are undecided.
TOP 10 PLACES
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Yavlinsky
|
11%
|
Lebed
|
10%
|
Chernomyrdin
|
8%
|
Zyuganov
|
8%
|
Zhirinovsky
|
7%
|
Yeltsin
|
5%
|
Rutskoi
|
3%
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Gaidar
|
3%
|
Solzhenitsyn
|
2%
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Kozyrev
|
2% (2% also for Staravoitova and Shumeiko)
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Don't Know
|
32%
|
Political Parties
- 60% say that political parties are necessary to Russian democracy and 14% say they are not necessary. Only 38% strongly believe that parties are necessary.
A 39% plurality say that several parties is an ideal situation while 15% say that one party is the ideal.
35% feel there are clear differences between the parties and 33% say there are not. Just 5% say they are members of a party. 22% are more likely to vote for a candidate who is affiliated with a political party, 23% are more likely to vote for an unaffiliated candidate, and 33% say it makes no difference.
Only 47% (11% below average) say that political parties speak to the issues that concern the Russian electorate.
- In the Duma ballot, the results are as follows:
Communist Party
|
15%
|
Women of Russia
|
10%
|
Yabloko
|
7%
|
Russia's Democratic Choice
|
6%
|
Agrarian Party
|
4%
|
LDPR
|
3%
|
Our Home Russia
|
2%
|
Democratic Party of Russia
|
2%
|
Party of Economic Freedom
|
1%
|
Party of Unity and Accord
|
1 %
|
Stable Russia
|
1 %
|
None
|
14%
|
Don't Know
|
32%
|
Voter Education
Given the high don't know responses, voter education efforts are needed in this region. In addition,
* Only 48% say they received enough information from election officials so that they understood the election process;
* Only 2% have a great deal of information about the Democratic process, 17% have a fair amount, 50% have not very much, and 26% have none at all.
* 72% agree (49% strongly) that they don't have enough information with regard to their rights with regard to the authorities.
* 30% say they received enough information about the candidates or parties to make a good choice in the 1993 Parliamentary elections and 39% did not. 25% don't know.
* 15% are very or somewhat familiar with their voting rights.
* 21% didn't have enough information on how to check the voter registry and 20% had too little information on means of alternative voting.
* Misunderstandings about voting rights include the following: 32% believe a family member can vote on your behalf by presenting your passport; 43% say that those who don't currently reside in Russia may not vote, and 50% think those serving time in prison may vote.
* Surprisingly, voters in this region are more likely than average to say that those who don't speak Russian may vote.
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