HRDF POLLING ENDS, NEW DISTRIBUTOR SUCCESSFUL

C O N F I D E N T I A L MINSK 001227

SIPDIS

SIPDIS
DEPT FOR DRL/PHD KARA CUMBERLAND

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/29/2016
TAGS: PGOV KDEM BO
SUBJECT: HRDF POLLING ENDS, NEW DISTRIBUTOR SUCCESSFUL

REF: A. 05 MINSK 591


B. MINSK 1055

Classified By: Ambassador Karen Stewart for reasons 1.4 (d)


1. (C) This is the fourth report on the implementation of a
DRL grant to provide independent opinion polling in Belarus.
Under the auspices of a DRL Human Rights and Democracy Fund
(HRDF) small grant (ref A),the IISEPS polling service
conducted the sixph and final opinion poll in November (see
septel for polling results). IISEPS director Oleg Manaev
November 20 gave Ambassador the November polling results in
an introductory meeting.


2. (C) Manaev noted to Ambassador that since June, the number
of respondents who have seen independent polling results (via
media, leaflets, or conversations) has increased from 23.8%
to 30.5%. If Manaev's calculations are correct and 1% of
respondents theoretically represent 70,000 people, then 2.135
million Belarusians have came into contact with independent
polling results in 2006. Since February, the amount of
people who have read IISEPS' bulletin "Belaruskiy Vyestnik"
containing IISEPS polling results increased from 9.1% to
13.1%, or from 637,000 to 917,000 people.


3. (C) Manaev attributed the dramatic increase in consumption
to the Belarusian Party of Communists' (BPC) well-developed
distribution scheme (ref B). Makifg his sales pitch, Manaev
stated that if the U.S. were to provide another HRDF grant to
IISEPS, he could begin the next series of public opinion
polling by early spring 2007. According to Manaev, the Czech
government had already confirmed its willingness to continue
financing IISEPS'/BPC's distribution campaign.
Stewart