A recent poll found that more than 80 percent of Ukrainians disapprove of their government. The discontent is highest in the government-controlled areas of Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts.
Findings of the public opinion survey,
released on Jan. 12, was conducted in November by Rating Group Ukraine on
behalf of the International Republican Institute, and funded by the Canadian
government.
In particular, the survey found that only 15
percent of Ukrainians nationwide, and 8 percent in the two easternmost oblasts,
believe Ukraine is heading in the right direction.
Such pessimism is tied with nationwide
disbelief in government officials who are not doing enough to keep territories
in Donbas that were liberated from Russian-separatist forces within Ukraine,
the survey found.
When asked whether they approved of President
Petro Poroshenko’s job performance, 70 percent nationwide and 78 percent in the
Donbas disapproved of his actions.
Endorsement of the Cabinet of Ministers is
even lower – 82 percent nationwide and 85 percent in Donbas disapprove of the
government’s actions. Similarly, only 11
percent nationwide appreciate the work of parliament, compared to 3 percent in
the Donbas.
Stephen Nix, director of Eurasia programs at
the International Republic Institute, says the survey’s findings are
significant.
“This should be a warning sign to the
Ukrainian government and the international community that they need to redouble
their efforts to end the war and engage all citizens, especially the people of
the Donbas region, into all aspects of Ukrainian political and civic life,” he
was quoted as saying by the IRI’s website.
The poll shows that 79 percent of Ukrainians
nationwide and 81 percent in in the Ukrainian-controlled territories of the
Donbas region think the economic situation in the state worsened over the last
12 months. A majority of those polled believe that Ukraine’s economy will
worsen in 2016.
According to the poll by the International Republican Institute, Ukrainians see war and corruption as the biggest challenges.
Most people still see the Kremlin-engineered
war in the east that has killed more than 9,000 people and left another 1.5
million displaced, as the biggest challenge facing the country.
However, 75 percent of Donbas residents want
to remain part of Ukraine. Also, only 11 percent of this group of respondents
believe the annexation of Crimea was in fact a lawful protection of
Russian-speaking citizens, while 41 percent said it was an illegal invasion and
occupation of independent Ukraine.
“There is no doubt that Ukrainians long for
the unity and sovereignty of their country, and it is critical that the United
States and Europe support Ukraine to ensure that Russia’s occupation does not
become permanent,” Nix said.
The poll was conducted in all regions of
Ukraine excluding Russia-annexed Crimea and the occupied parts of Donetsk and
Luhansk oblasts. It included 1,800 randomly selected permanent residents of
Ukraine aged 18 and older who are eligible to vote.
