Views of voters in Ingushetia
By Saida Kantysheva
INGUSHETIA – On December 2 elections to the State Duma took place in the Russian Federation, including the Republic of Ingushetia. Official results showed a very high turnout among the public.
The republic’s electoral commission cited a turnout of 98.35%. Approximately 98.7% of the electorate cast their vote for the United Russia party.
Voter turnout was high, but the official figures are astonishing. Most of the people interviewed by Prague Watchdog’s correspondent on the street said they had abstained from voting.
Opinions were divided – a considerable segment of the public showed itself to be apolitical, expressing the view that in recent years there has been no point in voting, because everything has already been decided. This segment is mostly made up of people who view the government with pessimism.
However, another part of the population did express its political opinions, and hurried to the polling stations in order to do so. These were mostly people who have confidence in Russia’s present government. They were mainly from an older generation – people who care about the future of their country, Russia, because it is their future, too.
Having visited the polling stations and talked with voters, Prague Watchdog ‘s correspondent has been able to identify their preferences. The majority of those interviewed supported the policy of Russia’s current president, Vladimir Putin. While they stressed that he personally has done nothing wrong, their view on this sounded hesitant. They also expressed the opinion that most of the political parties were really not bad. The only political figure about whom they were apprehensive was the Russian nationalist Vladimir Zhirinovsky.
If the question of the Ingush government came up, the prevalent view was more certain and unequivocal. People expressed their discontent with the government. While they appreciated the personal qualities of Ingush President Murat Zyazikov, his education and intelligence, they also pointed out his lack of the most important quality – the ability to lead.
The Ingush people also expressed admiration for Chechen President Ramzan Kadyrov, especially his personal qualities and contact with the public. (Translation by DM) (T)
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