POLL: RUSSIANS ON THE HOSTAGE CRISIS.

Publication: North Caucasus Weekly Volume: 3 Issue: 36

On December 5, the website Polit.ru reported the results of a Russia-wide survey conducted by the polling organization The All-Russian Center for the Study of Public Opinion (VTsIOM) during the period November 22-25. Asked whether the authorities were telling the truth about the hostage crisis, 9 percent believed they were telling “the whole truth”, 58 percent “only part of the truth”, 23 percent that they were “concealing the truth”, 5 percent that they were “lying and dissimulating” and 5 percent had no opinion.

In response to whether the MVD, FSB and other special services were responsible for the Chechens being able to penetrate the center of Moscow with weapons, 75 percent answered “definitely yes/rather yes”, 14 percent “definitely no/rather no?” and 11 percent had no opinion.

Responding to the question that followed–“why have no leaders yet been held to account”, 26 percent answered that the police and special services were thoroughly corrupt and nothing would happen, 24 percent said more time was needed, 19 percent praised the special services, another 19 percent believed that the authorities depended too much on the special services to investigate them, 13 percent blamed the terrorists and 10 percent had no opinion.