Putin most trusted Russian politician - Poll

MOSCOW. May 13 (Interfax) - The only Russian politician who has enjoyed the trust of over half of Russians for the past four years is President Vladimir Putin, shows a poll conducted by the All-Russian Public Surveys Center (VTsIOM). According to a poll of 1,600 respondents in 39 Russian regions in mid-April, 58% of Russians trust Putin. The poll also showed that the president is trusted by 82% of those who identify themselves as followers of United Russia party, by over half of Union of Right Forces (SPS), LDPR, and Rodina followers, and by 33% of Communist Party supporters. Sociologists found that only three active Russian political figures are trusted by over 10% of Russians. They include Emergency Situations Minister Sergei Shoigu (25%), Moscow Mayor Yury Luzhkov (12%), and Liberal Democratic Party (LDPR) leader Vladimir Zhirinovsky (12%). Luzhkov's rating has dropped from 16.4% to 11.7% over the past month, while the other leaders' ratings have held steady since last fall. A third cluster of politicians, who enjoy the trust of about 8% of the people, includes Sergei Glazyev, Gennady Zyuganov, Boris Gryzlov, and Nikolai Kharitonov. As for the members of the new Russian government, Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov, Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Zhukov, Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov, and Finance Minister Alexei Kudrin and Igor Ivanov (who recently became Security Council secretary) are trusted by about 5% to 6% of the population.

13 May 2004 08:12