WASHINGTON, 9 October 2007 — An opinion poll conducted between Aug. 15 and Sept. 20 by a US-based research organization claims President Pervez Musharraf enjoys greater popularity among the people of Pakistan than former premiers Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif.
The findings of the survey by the International Public Opinion Polls (IPOP) released on Sunday were based on opinions and views elicited from the country’s educated and relatively less educated sections.
The survey was conducted in 62 cities . A total of 1,572 people were interviewed, 1,023 of them men and 549 women. It focused primarily on political crisis, national reconciliation efforts and good governance.
Forty-five percent of the respondents said the greatest hurdle in achieving political stability was corruption indulged in by politicians, 30 percent blamed dynastic politics and 25 percent thought politics of agitation was responsible for the lack of stability.
To a question whether politicians owning property abroad should declare their assets before elections, 43 percent said “yes,” 33 percent said “no”, and the rest said they had “no idea.”
Forty-one percent of the respondents said Pakistan was most safe under Musharraf. Thirty-three percent favored Benazir while 26 percent thought Sharif was the right person to ensure the country’s safety.
The respondents had various opinions over deal with Benazir; 27 percent believed provincial autonomy would figure as a major issue after the deal, 17 percent said the deal would have a bearing on the foreign policy, 16 percent said economy would be a major issue, 14 percent believed the deal would affect provision of justice, 14 percent said corruption cases, and 12 percent felt the issue of premiership for a third term would overshadow Pakistani politics.
Regarding the qualities a national leader should possess, 49 percent believed he/she should have integrity and be honest. Twenty-seven percent said a national leader should be able to safeguard national interests and 24 percent believed patience and tolerance should be the qualities a national leader should have.
When asked who in their opinions possessed such qualities, 42 percent said Musharraf, 32 believed Benazir while 26 percent said Sharif.
About the cause of the failure of democracy, 43 percent thought political leaders with despotic attitude were responsible. Twenty-three percent blamed it on lack of democratic values among leaders, 18 percent of the respondents blamed the growing role of money in politics while 16 percent pointed to dynastic politics as the contributing factor for democracy’s failure.
To a question why Pakistan’s image abroad was bad, 48 percent believed that politics of agitation was the root cause, 24 percent considered corruption by political leaders as the cause, 17 percent thought politicians’ hypocrisy and 11 percent considered terrorism as factors that tarnished the image of the country.
When asked who had the ability to correct the country’s image, 40 percent of the respondents believed Musharraf had, 33 percent spoke in favor of Benazir and 27 percent said Sharif can bolster the country’s image.
The margin of error, according to the survey, was four percent. The survey was based on interviews, telephonic conversations and correspondence through electronic mail.
