IRI Georgian Poll Finds Increased Confidence in Parliament and Media

Tbilisi, Georgia – IRI today released its latest poll of Georgian public opinion. The poll, conducted February 18-27, 2013, is a comprehensive analysis of attitudes regarding the current Georgian economic, social and political landscape.

This is the first nationwide poll that IRI has conducted in 2013, and the first since the Georgian Parliament has begun its first full legislative session.  Georgian media (84 percent) and Parliament (82 percent) have joined the church (95 percent), army (91 percent) and police (86 percent) in the top five most-trusted institutions As in prior surveys, the primary concern of the electorate continues to be unemployment at 42 percent (down four percent from November 2012), followed by the restoration of territorial integrity at 16 percent.  Concern over the general economic situation, the second highest concern in the previous poll, fell from 15 to 12 percent.

Despite the strong support for the Georgian Dream Coalition, there has not been universal agreement on its policy agenda.  Amending the constitution to take away popular election of the president is strongly opposed (74 percent against, including 63 percent strongly against).  However, a now-enacted amendment to put Georgia on a pro-Western foreign policy course was well supported (62 percent supporting, including 33 percent strongly supporting).

IRI has conducted polls in Georgia since May 2003, prior to the Rose Revolution.  The data collected is used to gauge public opinion, and to assist IRI’s political party partners build platforms based on the issues of greatest concern to the Georgian people.

The randomly selected sample of 1,500 men and women of voting age was collected nationwide.  The study was designed and analyzed by Baltic Surveys/The Gallup Organization, and was fielded by the Institute for Polling and Marketing under the supervision of IRI.  The margin of error for the national sample does not exceed plus or minus 2.5 percent with a response rate of 70 percent.