Political Ratings in NDI-Commissioned Poll
In a poll conducted two months before the June 15 local elections, 48% of likely voters said they would vote for the ruling Georgian Dream coalition, followed by opposition United National Movement with 12%.
19% were undecided; 8% refused to answer and 3% said they would vote for none, according to a public opinion survey commissioned by the U.S. National Democratic Institute (NDI) and fielded by the Caucasus Resource Research Centers (CRRC) from March 26 through April 18.
Nino Burjanadze-led coalition of CDM and DMUG, known as “United Opposition”, and the Labor Party were tied at 4% each.
Asked on Tbilisi mayoral race, 39% of likely voters said GD’s Davit Narmania would be their first choice as mayor of the capital city, followed by UNM’s Nika Melia with 10% and a candidate of Nino Burjanadze-led coalition with 9% (this coalition named Dimitri Lortkipanidze as its candidate on April 5).
20% were undecided; 13% said they would vote for none of the candidate and 4% refused to answer.
The poll was fielded at the time when active campaign had not yet been launched by the candidates.
Second round of election will be required if no candidate receives more than half of the votes cast.
In a similar poll, which was conducted two months before last year’s presidential elections, GD’s candidate Giorgi Margvelashvili had 39% support and 22% were either undecided or were refusing to answer; Margvelashvili won the election in October with over 62% of votes.
60% of respondents say they would participate in local elections, down by 10 percentage points compared to the August 2013 poll, when voters were asked if they would go to presidential election.
Defense Minister, Irakli Alasania, has the highest positive favorability rating among the politicians with 67%, down from 72% in November, 2013, followed by PM Irakli Garibashvili with 64%, down from 71% in November, and parliament speaker Davit Usupashvili with 61%, down from 65% in November.
President Margvelashvili’s favorability rating declined from 72% in November to 46% in April.
Former PM Bidzina Ivanishvili’s positive favorability rating has declined by 23 percentage points since November to 51% in April; his unfavorability rating increased from 11% in November to 24% in April.
Favorability ratings represent respondents’ answers on a question whether they "like" or "dislike" specific figures.
MP Davit Bakradze, leader of the UNM parliamentary minority group, remains the most popular opposition figure, whose favorability rating was at 51% in April, a slight increase since November.
The poll, released on May 8, is part of a broader survey which also looks into public attitudes towards various policy and current issues. The poll has a margin of error plus, minus 2.1%.