Azerbaijan, Baku /corr. Trend S.Ilhamgizi / A large segment of the Armenian population do not believe that the upcoming 12 February 2008 presidential elections in the Country will be open and fair, Voice of Armenia (Armenian bureau of Voice of America) reports with reference to Armenian Sociological Association.
The Association held a survey with regards to the upcoming presidential elections. It became clear that 54% of the Armenian residents are dissatisfied with the policy of the Government. Only 23% of the people questioned have testified to an improvement of the social situation as compared to the previous years and 27% oppose this opinion. Irrespective of the Armenian Government's statement on economic development, only 33% of the respondents believe in real economic progress.
Amongst the people questioned, 35% see the root of the social-economic problems in unemployment, 23% in Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, 21% in the creation of the situation for breaking out of civil war and 18% in corruption at State level.
The results of the survey show that a large part of the Armenian population is dissatisfied with the development of the democracy in the country. Some 60% of those surveyed consider that the upcoming presidential elections will be unfair.
The Armenian Assembly of America studied the opinion of 1,508 Armenians regarding the candidates participating in the presidential elections. It became clear that 37% of the Armenians who reside in the USA support the former President of Armenia, Levon Ter-Petrosyan, 23% the head of Heritage Party, Ovanesyan and 5% the current Prime Minister, Setj Sarkisyan.