ROMANIA NOT POPULAR IN MOLDOVA.

Only 5 percent of Moldovans favor unification with Romania. Eighty-three percent support independent statehood. Twelve percent are undecided. These figures are the findings of a public opinion survey just carried out by the "Opinia" Sociological Service. Forty-nine percent in the same poll favored membership in the CIS. The survey was conducted on a representative sample of 1,700 voters countrywide, excepting Transdniester. (Infotag, February 11) That region is home to some 17 percent of Moldova’s population. Romania has traditionally been even less popular there than on the right bank of the Dniester.

The hypothetical question about unification with Romania is being posed in opinion surveys at infrequent intervals. Polls carried out since 1990 have shown such support to be consistently under 10 percent. The Popular Front, which supports unification, won 7 percent of the vote in the last parliamentary election. Moldova (except Transdniester) was part of Romania from 1918 through 1940 and from 1941 through 1944.

Unofficial Russian Hand Suspected in the Assault on Shevardnadze.