NDI releases research results
By Tatia Megeneishvili
Tuesday, December 24
The National Democratic Institute (NDI) released the results of its survey conducted through nationwide face-to-face interviews with 3,915 respondents collected November 13 through November 28.
According to the survey, President of Georgia, Giorgi Margvelashvili, and Minister of Defense, Irakli Alasania, are the most popular government leaders in Georgia with a 72% approval rating each. Third most popular is coalition leader is Prime Minister, Irakli Gharibashvili, with 71%. He is followed by the Speaker of the Parliament, David Usupashvili, who received 65%. As a whole, 61% of those interviewed rate the Georgian Dream Coalition as the party closest to them.
82% of interviewed people think that it is important for Georgia to have a strong opposition. The United National Movement (UNM) was identified as the strongest opposition party by 52%. Next is the Democratic Movement-United Georgia as another strong opposition party at 8%.
Parliamentary Minority Leader, Davit Bakradze, is the most popular among opposition leaders, with a favorable rating of 48%, followed by the leader of Labour Party Shalva Natelashvili, at 34% and the leader of Christian-Democratic Movement (CDM) Giorgi Targamadze, at 32%. Meanwhile, Bakradze is the only opposition politician in the list who has a net-positive favorability rating.
NDI’s Country Director in Georgia, Luis Navarro, said both the GD and UNM improved their positions.
“Following the Presidential election, the Georgian Dream Coalition remains the dominant political force both as a coalition and in terms of its leaders, while the UNM and David Bakradze are seen as the leading opposition forces,” Navarro stressed.
Former PM Bidzina Ivanishvili’s favorability rating was at 74%. However, 11% of respondents said that they dislike him.
One of the leaders of National Forum, Gubaz Sanikidze, is the only among GD parties’ leaders who has a net-negative favorability rating. His favorability rating stands at 28% and 41% of respondents hold negative opinions of him.
Conservative Party leader, Zviad Dzidziguri, is liked by 45% of respondents. Gogi Topadze, leader of the Industrialists party, has a 36% favorability rating. Both of them are members of the Georgian Dream coalition.
Patriarch Ilia II has the highest favorability ratings at 94% among the persons on the list.
These findings were part of a broader survey by NDI on public attitudes in Georgia that found that voters care most about jobs, territorial integrity and health. The survey looked at issues of public importance, perceptions of democracy and attitudes toward reforms, as well as various domestic and foreign policy issues.
The NDI survey was funded by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA) and carried out by the Caucasus Research Resource Centers (CRRC).
