The Public Opinion Fund on Wednesday published the results of last April’s opinion poll to declare that 62% of the Muscovites are prepared to vote for Vladimir Putin, but only 30% support the United Russia party. These statistics disagree with the findings of another pollster, the Levada Center, which claims that Putin has the support of 29%.
Rossiiskaya Gazeta daily says that as the Public Opinion fund’s chief, Alexander Oslon, has explained, there were two polls - one on January 26-February 7, and the other, on April 3-22. Taking part in both were 3,600 men and women - 300 in each district of the capital, including the territories the city took over just recently. “The respondents were questioned at home. The interviewers went from door to door to put questions to those who would agree to offer their comments,” Oslon said. “The statistical error margin was no greater than 2.3%.”
Novyie Izvestia daily points out that more than a third of Moscow’s residents are concerned over price hikes. High on the list of concerns is the set of problems related to migrants and city’s guests in general, and 29% do not like high utility prices. At the same time about half of the respondents like the quality of utility services in the city. A majority of the polled believe that their utility bills are acceptable. Less than 40% disagreed with them. “Moscow’s traffic jams are the most burning problem. This problem cannot be resolved overnight and the people in the city are aware of that,” Oslon added.
Moskovsky Komsomolets daily says that if elections were to be held now, Moscow’s Mayor Sergei Sobyanin, representing the United Russia party, would collect 61% of the votes, and Mikhail Prokhorov, 12%. An overwhelming majority of the polled believe that Sobyanin does a good job (53%), 24% are unhappy with the mayor, and 9% percent have no idea of his activities. “For a politician 53% is a nice rating, of course,” Oslon said. “But the number of critics is large enough to serve as an incentive.”
Kommersant daily says that the Public Opinion Fund’s findings are fundamentally different from the Levada Center poll, which argues that 29% are prepared to vote for the current president. Prokhorov placed fourth side by side with Dmitry Medvedev (2% each). Communist leader Gennady Zyuganov and LDPR leader Vladimir Zhirinovsky were second and third with 6% and 3% respectively. Levada Center sociologists also noted dwindling interest in political parties. If State Duma elections were to be held on Sunday, the ruling party would get 24%, the Communists, 12% and the LDPR and A Just Russia party, 5% each. Of the newly-founded party Mikhail Prokhorov’s Civil Platform has the highest rating - 4%.