Survey Shows Political Landscape in a Flux

Georgian Opinion Research Business International (GORBI), which is the Georgian member of Gallup International, published the result of a survey conducted in March, indicating population?s growing frustration with the government. Still, Mikheil Saakashvili remains the most popular politician, while his party the National Movement still tops the list of most popular political forces, according to this public opinion survey.

The survey shows Georgia’s political landscape in a flux: the honeyomoon with Saakashvili’s government dominated by exaggerated expectations has ended. At the same time, those polled see no credible opposition, with support for the most of the opposition parties within the statistical error margin. The slightly more than third of those surveyed still strongly support President Saakashvili and the ruling party. A around the third is undecided.

The survey says that 39% of 1800 citizens interviewed by the GORBI throughout Georgia, except breakaway Abkhazia and South Ossetia, think that the country ?develops in a wrong direction;? while 31% agrees with the opposite statement. Thus the number of people who think country is going in a right direction has decreased two times since the last year.

37% think that the ?life has improved? after the 2003 Rose Revolution, while 34% thinks it did not according to the survey.

The poll shows President Mikheil Saakashvili remains unchallenged leader with 38,2% support; which is a reduction by 25% in past six months.

Parliamentary Chairperson Nino Burjanadze comes second in the list of preferred presidential candidates with 7,1% support; leader of the Labor Party Shalva Natelashvili comes third with 5,4% followed by MP Jumber Patiashvili, the leader of Unity Party ? 1,6%; MP Koba Davitashvili, the leader of opposition Conservative Party ? 1,5%; MP Davit Gamkrelidze, the leader of opposition New Rights Party ? 1,2%; Irakli Okruashvili, the Defense Minister ? 1,1%.

But 40,6% of respondents replied that they do not know for whom to vote in case of presidential elections are held now.

In case of the parliamentary elections only two parties ? the ruling National Movement with 34,7% and the opposition Labor Party with 7,2% support, would have cleared the 7% election threshold, according to GORBI. The opposition New Rights would have fallen short with 4,3%; the opposition Conservative Party ? 1,5%; opposition Republican Party ? 1,5%; the Unity Party ? 1,3%. But 47,9% hesitated to indicate their favorite political party, according to the survey.

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