Interfax: Half of Ukrainians see political situation as explosive – poll

Maidan Square file photo

KYIV. Dec 26 (Interfax) – Only about 2% of Ukrainians view the current political situation in the country as stable and nearly half as explosive, the Socis Sociological and Marketing Research Center and the Rating sociological group have found after polling 3,200 respondents older than 18 in all regions of Ukraine on December 7-17, 2013.

The poll’s margin of error is within 1.8%. “Nearly half – 46% – said the situation is tense, and half of the respondents whom we polled – 49.4% – said the situation is explosive.

Only 2% of those polled see stability in the situation,” Oleksiy Antypovych, the director of the Rating group, said at a press conference at the Interfax-Ukraine office.

Antypovych interpreted the fact that 49.7% of the respondents said they could join street protests if their lives worsen significantly as a sign of changes in the mindset of Ukrainians.

Only 28.5% said they would prefer to endure hardships for the sake of stability and order in the country.

The sociologists have found also that the share of those ready to join street protests is twice as large among young people than average.

At the same time, only 5.7% of the respondents said they have already taken part in opposition demonstrations, while 21.6% declared their support for such actions, although admitted that they would not personally take part in them.

Nearly half of those polled – 47.6% disapprove of anti-government demonstrations.

Only 0.5% of the respondents said they have taken part in rallies in support for the authorities, 3.5% could do this in certain circumstances, and 75.8% disapprove of such activities.

Nearly 45% have a negative attitude toward the blockade of administrative buildings by protesters, Antypovych said.

On the other hand, 73.6% of those polled disapprove of the Berkut riot police task force’s dispersal of the opposition rally at Independence Square in Kyiv early on November 30, 9% support this, and 11.2% have a neutral attitude toward this.

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