AZG Armenian Daily #020, 02/02/2008
Presidential elections
SOCIOLOGIST ADIBEKIAN: "MY TASK IS TO BE A THERMOMETER AND SHOW THE
CLIENT THE REAL TEMPERATURE"
Director of "Sociometer" polling center Aharon Adibekian on January
31, in "Hayatsk" club presented the results of the survey of coming
presidential elections conducted by his center. The survey was
conducted among 2000 people from different provinces of
Armenia. According to it, 5 percent of the questioned will not
participate in the elections and 20 percent are not interested in
elections.
According to Adibekian, 20 percent of the questioned in the provinces
rejected to participate in the survey, as they are not interested in
public-political developments of the country.
75 percent of them are ready to participate in the elections and 5
percent follow the developments but will not participate, as they
don’t believe in free and fair elections.
What about the awareness of the questioned about the candidates, only
40,7 percent in the provinces are aware of Vahan Honhannissian as ARF
presidential candidate, about Vazgen Manoukian candidate know only
44,2 percent of the questioned and 80,6 percent – about Ter-Petrosian.
About Serge Sarkisian’s candidacy are aware 97,5 percent of the
questioned, about Arthur Baghdasarian – 56,8 percent and Artashes
Geghamian – 55 percent. About Tigran Karapetian, Aram Haroutiunian
and Arman Melikian know only 51 percent of the questioned.
"The weakest spot of the voters remain the programs of the
candidates. It’s bad that 97,5 percent of the voters are aware of
Serge Sargsian candidate, but only 19,7 percent are aware of the
candidates’ programs", said Aharon Adibekian.
The preferable candidate of the opposite voters in the provinces is
Arthur Baghdasarian.
40 percent of the questioned will not vote for Levon Ter-Petrosian. 10
percent of the electorate will not vote for Serge Sargsian.
To the question if Adibekian’s survey results correspond to reality
the sociologist answered, "My task is to be a thermometer and to show
the client the real temperature".
By the way, the survey was conducted by order of Serge Sarkisian’s
campaign office. The sociologist didn’t tell the name of the second
client.
What about the possibility of the second round of the elections the
sociologist said, "Possibility of the second round is very low, as two
third of the votes are directed to Serge Sargsian".
According to the survey conducted in the provinces the votes are
divided in the following way: Vazgen Manoukian – 1,5 percent, Artashes
Geghamian – 2 percent, Vahan Hovhannisian – 3 percent, Levon
Ter-Petrosian – 6 percent, Arthur Baghdasarian – 9 percent and Serge
Sargsian – 67 percent. The rest of the candidates has 0,7 percent of
the votes. 10,5 percent of the questioned are not oriented yet.
By Nairi Muradian, translated by L.H.