site.btaPublic Voices Strong, Lasting Support for Change - Gallup Int'l Poll

Public Voices Strong, Lasting Support for Change - Gallup Int'l Poll

Sofia, February 17 (BTA) - Gallup International found in an express poll that the public's support for change is lasting and strong. The majority of respondents approved all kinds of ideas for change, new people and new ideas in the parties' platforms, according to the poll taken among 808 respondents on February 13-14. It was financed by the polling agency.

The caretaker cabinet should change the way Bulgaria was run until now according to 67.8 per cent of respondents. The opposite view is held by 26.2 per cent and the rest opt for the "don't know" answer.

Nearly or over 90 per cent of respondents approve the dismissals of senior managers at the Road Infrastructure Agency, the Bulgarian State Railways and in education. Asked about the Health Minister's plans to end fingerprint authentication at hospitals, 70.6 per cent are in favour and 23.3 are against them. The replacement of regional governors met with 57.1 per cent approval, while 30.6 per cent were against.

Fifty per cent of the respondents approve that the caretaker cabinet managed to provide the financial resources for machine voting.

The results of the poll show an increased demand for any new political content - new personalities and new ideas. Fifty-four per cent of the respondents approve of the new tone of the programme of GERB. Seventy per cent approve of the new personalities in the election lists of the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP), who enjoy high levels of trust and thus help the BSP establish itself better.

All of the more popular pledges of the parties in recent days are well received. Eighty-two per cent of the interviewees like the idea to increase taxes for the richest people, 90 per cent support the idea to increase teachers' salaries, and 89 per cent approved of the idea to set up a fund to promote the industry.

Almost none of the respondents think that it is bad for Bulgaria to increase the minimum wages and pensions. Only few ask themselves where the money for the increase would come from while society is certain that it deserves more.