Three parties would enter the legislative body if parliamentary elections were held next Sunday. The Party of Action and Solidarity (PAS) would gain 28.7% of the vote, the Bloc of Communists and Socialists (BCS) – 19.6%, while the Shor Party – 6.4%. The undecided ones represent 20%, while those who would not take part in elections constitute aver 16%. Of the decided electors, 46.5% would vote for the PAS, 31.7% for the BCS, while 10.4% for the Shor Party, shows an opinion poll of the perception of disinformation and political preferences carried out by “CBS-Research”. The survey was commissioned by WatchDog.MD Community.
“We see a change compared with the previous month, but we should not draw hasty conclusions. This can be a momentary fluctuation. We will be able to draw clearer conclusions about the ratio of political forces as a result of the future polls. We see strong variation. The number of undecided voters grew considerably, by over 10%, since January until March. The number of those who say that they would not go to the polls also decreased slightly. So, we see volatility in behavior and there are very important aspects related to the undecided ones and those who say that they would not go to the polls,” WatchDog.MD head Valeriu Pașa stated in a news conference hosted by IPN.
He noted that the poll shows a significant decline for the Shor Party, which can be due to the fact that the protests were resumed and to the cases of bribing of participants in these and also to the information about eventual destabilization. The relatively high jump of the ruling party in the poll can be due to the fact that the winter season passed and also because the Cabinet was replaced.
If presidential elections were held, 31.8% of those surveyed in the first round of elections would for incumbent President Maia Sandu. Former President Igor Dodon would gain 17.8% of the vote, while the mayor of Chisinau Ion Ceban – 4.7. These are followed by Vladimir Voronin (3.5%), Ion Chicu (3.3%), Irina Vlah (2.1%), Ilan Shor (2%) etc. The undecided respondents exceed 17%, while over 9% of those questioned would not take part in elections. Of the decided ones, 44.7% would vote for Maia Sandu, while 25.1% for Igor Dodon.
Sociologist Vasile Cantarji, of SBS Research, said that a section of the poll refers to security and the war in Ukraine. The people were asked which of the presented scenarios depict the best the situation in Ukraine. Over 38% of those interviewed said that this is an unjustified invasion as no one provoked the Russian Federation. 26% of those polled consider that Russia defends the people’s republics in Donbas from Ukraine’s attacks, while over 13% believe that this is an operation to free Ukraine from Nazism. Almost 3% said something else, while nearly 20% of those polled said they didn’t know or didn’t answer.
The respondents were asked who they consider is to blame for the war in Ukraine. 21% of those surveyed said that Putin, over 19% - the Russian Federation, while over 19% - the U.S. Almost 12% of those interviewed believe the blame is borne by the administration of Ukraine, about 10% - by NATO, 4.5% – both of the countries, while 1.6% - the EU. 0.3% said that someone else, while slightly over 12% said they didn’t know or didn’t answer.
The survey was conducted by phone during February 24 – March 3 and covered a sample of 1,000 persons.
The poll was carried out as part of the project “Assessment of impact of disinformation and toxic propaganda on public opinion in the Republic of Moldova” that is implemented by WatchDog.MD Community with the assistance of Internews and with financial support from the European Union.
Note: IPN News Agency gives the right of reply to persons who consider they were touched by the news items produced based on statements of the organizers of the given news conference, including by facilitating the organization of another news conference in similar conditions.
