#15 - JRL 8111 - JRL Home
Half of Russians don't know new prime minister

MOSCOW. March 11 (Interfax) - Some 89% of Russians knew nothing about Mikhail Fradkov before President Vladimir Putin nominated him for prime minister, the Public Opinion Foundation reports following a poll of 1,500 Russians on March 6.

One-fourth of Russians now have some impression of Fradkov: 22% say the impression is favorable, and 4% hold the opposite view. 51% do not have any specific impressions yet, and 23% found it difficult to answer the question.

Asked whether Fradkov will work better than his predecessor Mikhail Kasyanov, 21% said yes, 18% think nothing will change, and 6% think the new prime minister will be worse. 56% find it difficult to say how Fradkov may work.

Some 73% of respondents think the new government should revise its policy: 40% think the changes should not be major, while 33% want to see a complete change. 7% think the government's policy should not change at all.

Respondents were asked about their ministerial preferences before the nomination of the new Cabinet.

Fifty percent said they would like Sergei Shoigu to retain his position. 26% named former foreign minister Igor Ivanov, 25% named Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov, and 24% named Boris Gryzlov, who headed the Interior Ministry before his election as Duma speaker.

Alexander Pochinok, former minister of labor and social security, was the most unwelcome minister: 27% said they do not want him in the new Cabinet.