MINSK, 15 March (BelTA) - Belarusian citizens put the issues of security and stability in the first place, Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko told the media in Raubichi on 13 March, BelTA has learned.
Journalists mentioned the recent sociological study held in the country on the eve of the 6th Belarusian People's Congress. When asked what achievements of sovereign Belarus should be preserved, 72.9% of respondents marked order and stability in the country, while 57.3% - sovereignty and independence. Ensuring stability and security is also in the first place among the national goals - 68.6% of respondents voted for it. Even the improvement of the quality of life was put by the citizens in the second place – 58.5%.
“The fact that people put security and stability first was not a surprise to me. These protesters have added to the outcome result. I have already said that you and our people, after looking at the last year's protests, realized what we could lose. That is why people are concerned about security and stability most of all now,” Aleksandr Lukashenko said.
The president added that there have always been more sensible people in the country, and there is vast majority of them in the country now. “The details are not for today. There is a lot to tell. But that will done later. Remember my words: we have no friends in the world,” the head of state said.
The public opinion poll in Belarus was commissioned by the BelTA news agency and was conducted by the EcooM think tank from 12 January to 8 February. Using paper questionnaires and tablets, pollsters interviewed almost 10,000 respondents in 108 localities across all regions of Belarus.
According to the survey, the approval rating of the Belarusian president is 66.5%. Babariko has 2.5%, Tikhanovskaya - 1.5%, Latushko - 1.3%, Gaidukevich - 1.9%, Golovchenko - 3.8%, Rumas - 0.4%, Kochanova - 4.4%, Makei - 2.4%. 5.8% of respondents have no trust in any government official or politician.
57.8% of respondents are sure that the government's actions to suppress street protests are justified. Belarusians believe that protests have a negative impact on their quality of life. This opinion was voiced by 75.9% of respondents.
Another question concerned the achievements of the sovereign Belarus that should be preserved. As many as 72.9% of the polled named order and stability, 57.3% – sovereignty and independence, 54.2% – the quality of healthcare and education services, 48.9% – the quality of food and industrial goods, 39.3% – the welfare state, 36.6% – people's living standards, 18.8% – the nuclear energy industry development, 12.7% – sports achievements.
