On 19-25 February the Center for Political Studies conducted a public opinion poll among the residents of Donetsk on topical socio-economic and political issues. The main aim of the poll was to learn the opinion of city residents on the problem of the economic crisis in Ukraine. Conducting of the poll became possible due to partnership of the Center with the Donetsk National University, which provides the opportunity for students majoring in political science and international relations to obtain practical experience of field sociological research during their internships period.
 

According to the opinion of the majority of respondents, during the last months Ukraine's economy stepped into crisis (93% of respondents). While 91% of citizens noted, that they personally experienced the impact of the economic crisis. To a greater extent this manifested in the rising prices (42% of respondents), lack of money and decrease in the level of living (19%), as well as in decline (13%) or delays in payment of salaries and pensions (10%), job losses and impossibility to find a new one (6% each).

 

Regardless of this, 74% of respondents have no intensions whatsoever to react to problems in the country's economy. Along other answers to this question: participation in protests (6%), necessity of forceful measures towards the authorities (5%). On the direct question "Could the mass actions of protest help overcome the economic crisis?", 48% of respondents answered positively, and 47% of citizens are ready to take part in them.
 

Three quarters of respondents think that the economic crisis in the country would last long, and 45% - that its main cause is not the global economic crisis, but rather "domestic factors". Among the guilty ones for the appearance of signs of crisis in Ukraine's economy in recent months most often are cited: the government (as all higher bodies of administration), (46%), V. Yushchenko (21%), Yu. Timoshenko (10%).

 

The majority of respondents hesitate to choose effective measures to overcome the crisis (48%), others offer advice to solve political problems: change of government (18%), overcoming of political crisis (8%). Most of citizens, who took part in the poll, think that during the recent months the crime level in the country have risen considerably and would continue soaring (75% and 76%), and 14% of respondents noted that they have experienced this personally.
 

Notably, 61% of respondents could not name a politician or a party, which represent their interests. Nevertheless, 3/4 of citizens are going to vote on the presidential elections. Amongst them 20% have don’t yet made their choice, 5% refused to respond who they would vote for. The most popular are V. Yanukovich (33%), P. Simonenko and A. Yatsenyuk (6% each), Yu. Timoshenko and N. Vitrenko (4% each); 10% stated that they would vote "against all". Leaders of the "anti-rating" ("Who you would not vote for under any circumstances?"): V. Yushchenko - 58%, Yu. Timoshenko - 44%, V. Yanukovich - 12%.

 

The resulting rating of the "weighted indicators" (difference between the number of supporters and opponents): leader – V. Yanukovich (21%), A. Yatsenyuk (6%), P. Simonenko and N. Vitrenko (4% each), the least popular are: Yu. Timoshenko (-39%) and V. Yushchenko (-57%).
 

In total, 405 respondents were questioned. The poll was conducted in all 9 districts of Donetsk. Studied was the opinion of citizens older than 18 years of age. The selection is representative in gender-age and territorial dimensions. Method of research – street express poll (individual anonymous interviews), most of the interviews were recorded in audio format.

 

According to the opinion of Kyrylo Cherkashyn, head of the sociological service of the Center, PhD in political sciences and associate professor of the Department of political science of the Donetsk National University, this approach allows to analyze the results of the poll with the use of both quantitative and qualitative methods. Allowed statistical deviation of obtained results is ±5%. Most of the interviews (70%) were conducted on 19-20 February 2009.