Poll Finds 48.3% of Georgians Disapprove of Current Government
TBILISI – Georgian TV network Rustavi 2 on Tuesday released the results of a poll by German research institute GfK that showed 48.3 per cent local respondents disapprove of the government’s job performance.
According to the institute's findings, 10.5 per cent of respondents said they support President Giorgi Margvelashvili, while opposition party leader David Bakradze from the United National Movement (UNM) received the second highest rating, with 9.1 per cent of the vote.
Former President Mikheil Saakashvili placed third, receiving 6.9 per cent of respondents’ vote. Ex-Defense Minister and leader of the Free Democrats, Irakli Alasania, garnered 4.8 per cent, while 3.6 per cent of respondents’ said they support opera singer-turned-opposition party leader Paata Burchuladze and Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili 3.0 percent.
When asked which political party they would you vote for, 25.8 per cent named the ruling party Georgian Dream as their top choice, just edging out the UNM, who were backed by 25.5 per cent of respondents.
Burchuladze’s State for the People coalition placed third with 6.9 per cent of the vote.
3.7 per cent of respondents supported the Labour Party, 2.9 per cent for the Free Democrats; the Patriots Alliance earned 1.6 per cent of the vote, and Nino Burjanadze’s staunchly pro-Russian Democratic Movement was backed by only 1.4 per cent of those asked.
19 per cent of respondents said they remain undecided.
Participants in the survey named unemployment (47.4 per cent), low wages and poverty (13 per cent), low pensions (7.6 per cent) and price increases (4.6 per cent) as the country’s main problems.
Several members of the ruling Georgian Dream party slammed the survey’s results, saying they do not correspond to the reality on the ground.
"This is a deliberate attempt to distort reality. We already know the facts. These so-called statistics are the fantasies of certain people,” Jejelava said.
"Any survey or discussion we have with voters clearly shows that people believe the Georgian Dream is a corrupt, irresponsible government. People are willing to support us,” UNM member Irakli Abesadze said.
Responding to the findings, Burchuladze said the survey should help boost support for his party ahead of the upcoming elections.
The survey was carried out from August 3-18, with 2,200 Georgian citizens taking part in the questionnaire.
Gesellschaft fur Konsumforschung, or GfK, is Germany’s largest research institute, and the fourth largest market research organization in the world.
The GfK Group is an international market research organization providing services in the three sectors Custom Research, Retail and Technology and Media.
By Thea Morrison
Edited by Nicholas Waller