ADAM: 44 % of people want to see the opposition member as president of Azerbaijan

Baku/01.10.13/Turan : Only 15 % of the population of Azerbaijan believe that the country is developing well, according to a nationwide survey conducted a month before the presidential election on October 9 by the sociological service "ADAM." The survey was conducted within the framework of the project  "Community Youth Center"  held by the Baku "Center for Economic and Political Studies" (FAR CENTRE.)

Surveying was conducted from 14th August to 14th September 2013. The total number of respondents totaled 1,000 people in Baku, Mingachevir, Sheki, Ganja, Lankaran and Guba.

Questions were asked personally  in the streets to people aged 18 years and older on condition of anonymity. The statistical error was + / - 3 %. The results were processed by the program SPSS 13.0.

The survey revealed deterioration of financial situation of respondents.Only 04 % were completely satisfied with their financial situation (6.9% - 2012) ;

 50.0 % - do not experience material difficulties (52.4 % - 2012) ;

40.7 % - experience financial difficulties (30% - 2012) ;

 7.5% - experience great financial difficulties  (9.5 % - 2012).

Number of people wishing to leave the country is still high: 19.1 % would like to permanently leave the country;

leave at the time wished to 44.6 % (from 63.7 %) ( 62.1 % - 2012) ;

50.6 % of respondents believe that in the next three years  their life will improve;

39.7 % think that life will deteriorate.

56.3 % of respondents want the country to develop in the direction of European countries ;

19.7 % - follow the path of the Soviet Union;

14.8 % - the changes are not needed, the country is doing well;

2.4% - on the way of Sharia states.

The number of supporters of European integration increases, the number of supporters of the Islamic way of development  dropped: the country should develop towards the European Union is 64.0% ( 41.9 % - 2012); Euro- Asian Union, led by Russia  is 23.7 % ( 26.7 % - 2012);

the community of Islamic countries - 4.3% (17.4% - 2012).

 02 % of respondents  are atheists, 62.5 % - believe in God, but do not perform religious rites, 14.7 % believe in God and regularly perform religious ceremonies; 21.7 % - believe in God, but  make religious practices irregularly.

The level of corruption in the country has changed little over the last 3 years:  36.8% of the respondents often had to bribe ( 36.7 % - 2012) ;

38.5 % - rarely give a bribe ( 31.1% - 2012) ;

 did not have to pay bribes - 22.4 % ( 26.6 % - 2012).

Government's success are evaluated by respondents as low :

the government has been successful in the following areas :

stability and order - 35.5 % ;

oil industry - 23.2% ;

foreign policy - 13.8 % ;

strengthening of the army - 9.1 % ;

the welfare of the population - 8.7% ;

education - 7.7% ;

health Care - 5.9% ;

the fight against corruption - 5.3% ;

fair courts and law enforcement agencies - 0.5 % ;

the Karabakh problem - 0.0% ;

none of the problems - 37.9%.

53.7 % of respondents believe  that the newly created National Council of Democratic Forces led by Rustam Ibrahimbayov plays a positive role in the country,  and believe it plays a negative role - 19.9%, could not answer- 26.4 %.

Democratic sentiment prevalent in society: today  Azerbaijan more than ever needs strengthening the state 22.8 % ( 33.6 % - 2012) ;

government be  under the control of  society - 66.8 % (53.3 % - 2012).

The population wants changes in the governance of the country: 46.0 % of respondents want change of government , because this government does not want to carry out reforms ;

34.4 % - do not want regime change, but want reforms ;

9.8% - do not want regime change.

64.5 %  will vote in the presidential election, and  22.1% - will not. 

Survey organizers failed to get  an answer to the question "name the presidential candidate for whom you vote," because at the time of the survey three opposition candidates changed  - Rustam Ibrahimbayov, Isa Gambar, and Jamil Hasanly. For this reason, we had to be content with the answers to the following survey questions:

- How do you think, who the people would like to see as the new president of the republic ? Representative of the current administration - 37.5 % ;

members of the opposition - 43.8 % ;

Representative of the Islamic opposition - 1.4%.

34.5 % believe that if the pre-election campaign and the elections  in 2013 are non democratic, the opposition should boycott them;

49.6% believe that opposition should still go to the polls and fight to the end

If the results of the vote are rigged, 20.4 %  are ready to protest; 32.3 % will not protest , it does not make sense;  and  14.5% - there will not be a fraud.

76.8 % of respondents believe the democratic countries should adopt legislation that prohibits the issuance of entry visas to Azerbaijani officials who violate the rights of citizens of the country (like the "Magnitsky Act") , 5.8 % of respondents believe that democratic countries should not adopt such law. –06D--