Couple of interesting O.P.'s from today's "Segodnya"
The majority of Ukrainians - 75,1%, approve of neutral status for Ukraine; 9,8% are against, 15,2% had difficulty answering.
62,3% of respondents are in favor of conducting a referendum on the entry of Ukraine into NATO, 24,9% against such a referendum, 12,8% had difficulty answering.
The O.P. indicated that overall, 56% of Ukraine's citizens would be against the entrance of Ukraine in NATO, 21,6% for the enty into the alliance, 8,3% would not participate in any referendum on this question.
Another O.P. in the Akhmetov-controlled 'Segodnya' reveals that Tymosenko's ratings are improving.
If elections were to take place on 2nd March, according to the O.P. 36,4% of those polled would vote for BYuT, 28,8% for Party of Regions, 8,7% for NUNS, 6,5% for the Communists, 5% for Lytvyn's block, 10,3% against all.
If presidential elections were to take place next Sunday, 26,8% expressed a readiness to vote in favour Tymoshenko, 20,3% for Viktor Yanukovych, 9,9% Viktor Yushchenko, 3,8% for Volodymyr Lytvyn, and 3,6% for Petro Symonenko.
Despite Tymoshenko's undoubted popularity, speculation is increasing that her hold on the premiership may be tentative - just 15 more NUNS deputies have to be found in order that their party withdraws from the ruling BYuT/NUNs VR coalition. This would enable a grand PoR/NUNS coalition to be formed, and drive BYuT into opposition again. Politicians do take notice of opinion polls. Figures like those above will give those thinking of jumping ship pause for thought.
LEvko considers head of presidential secretariat Viktor Baloha is possibly being set up to take the blame and could be easily discarded if the campaign to shove out Tymoshenko stalls or fails.
'Dzerkalo Tyzhnya' runs a detailed article exposing Baloha's alleged involvement in corrupt land and property deals in his home town of Mukacheve, but Baloha does have serious 'krysha' in the security services [SBU]. Yushchenko's employment of such a doubtful character does him no credit.
3 comments:
"NATO Enlargement and the Bucharest Summit"
http://www.csce.gov/index.cfm?Fuseaction=ContentRecords.ViewDetail&ContentRecord_id=414&ContentType=H,B&ContentRecordType=H&CFID=6913495&CFTOKEN=47254157
"The greatest weakness in Ukraine’s case for a MAP is that ultimate entry into NATO does not now command broad support among the Ukrainian public. Opinion polls typically show that 25-30 percent of Ukrainians support membership, while some 50 percent oppose it. Much of this opposition may be related to a lack of understanding about how NATO has changed and what it is today. The Ukrainian government has stated its intention to conduct an information campaign regarding NATO and that, before submitting a formal request for membership, it would hold a referendum to gauge the views of Ukraine’s citizens.
This should not disqualify Ukraine from a MAP. Other countries in the past have been granted a MAP despite low levels of domestic support for joining NATO. For example, polls showed relatively weak public support in Slovakia and Slovenia. But the governments of those countries used the period of their MAPs to broaden public support. Ukraine’s leaders say that they will do the same. Polls in Ukraine have shown growing support for European integration, to the point where 60-70 percent of Ukrainians today favor joining the European Union. A MAP can help crystallize a consensus in Ukraine for full integration into the Euro-Atlantic community, including NATO."
http://www.csce.gov/index.cfm?Fuseaction=ContentRecords.ViewWitness&ContentRecord_id=946&ContentType=D&ContentRecordType=D&ParentType=H&CFID=6913495&CFTOKEN=47254157
"Ukraine's possible neutral and non-NATO member status 'makes no sense' in a situation where other nations are forming a single global security zone, Ohryzko said."
http://blog.kievukraine.info/2007/12/ohryzko-confirms-ukraine-determined-to.html
Yes, and 58% of the Ukrainian populace also trust Vladimir Putin, should speak for itself. The poll was carried out by “FOM – Ukraina” company from February 20 to March 2, 2008. 2 thousand respondents in 160 settlements of Ukraine were polled. The error margin makes up 2.2%.
Unfortunately don't hold out much hope for the following unless the advertising is smart, directed and really thought provoking. As for NATO information centres, any lit. they produce will be deemed propaganda and the sites themselves will be rallying points for demonstrations.
"NATO will attempt to improve its currently poor image in the former Soviet republic Ukraine with information centres and an advertising campaign costing millions of dollars, a Ukrainian official said Wednesday. More than three million dollars, contributed by the Ukrainian government and Western "donors", will go towards the project, said Serhy Shevchiuk, an MP and member of parliament's European Integration committee."
http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/191789,nato-to-buff-bad-image-in-ukraine-with-info-centres.html
"Чи дійсно наша влада хоче до НАТО?"
http://www.day.kiev.ua/197958/
Compare it with the reported tens of millions of dollars willing to be spent by the POR to keep Ukraine's inflation high and at the forefront of media attention.
"“As which got to know from well-informed sources, the Party of Regions is preparing large-scale special campaign to misinform and boost inflation processes. They plan to spend tens of millions of US dollars on this “noble affair”, the statement reads.
The BYuT claims that Party of Regions’ spin doctors propose a whole series of “advertising reels”, which will be broadcast at the major TV-channels of the country. "
http://unian.net/eng/news/news-240721.html
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