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Ideal President to Do Without Friends
The president should be either “the father of nation” or “the present-day manager,” showed the poll of All-Russia’s Center for Public Opinion Studies that was held in summer but promulgated today.
The date of the poll is significant. Far back in summer, electing a president was hardly the concern for most Russians and the better part of the nation was unaware of successor‘s name. So, when asked about an ideal president, the respondents didn’t refer to a definite policymaker, basing their answers on personal experience exclusively, explained Valery Fedorov, director of All-Russia’s Center for Public Opinion Studies.
Two relatively equal groups emerged as a result. For 42 percent of the polled, a perfect president would be an efficient manager of present time. Another group, 48 percent, chose “a wise policymaker, the true father of nation.” Predictably, the wealthy Russians (53 percent) favored the president-manager, while the poorer ones (55 percent) would rather have the nation’s father.
The gap in succession is evident in today’s Russia; the recent changes in historical memory led to the fact that people of different age groups have quite different stereotypes. Young people that started their lives in the market environment see the state a service, ignoring its sacred transpersonal structure. But those who matured in Soviet time, perceive it as the father for all and the president is this father’s personification for them.
The nation’s opinion about president’s team shouldn’t be neglected either. No more than 2 percent would like a new chief of the Kremlin to attract his mates, relatives or acquaintances for governing the country. For 47 percent, the best thing would be if he built his team of scientists, lawyers and economists.
The president may attract policymakers from legislative bodies, said 22 percent, and 20 percent sanctioned him to go to executive bodies for personnel. Enforcement officers were backed up by 19 percent of the polled, while only 14 percent would favor the businessmen and the figures of art and culture were supported by no more than 10 percent.
www.kommersant.com
All the Article in Russian as of Jan. 18, 2008
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