Public opinion poll in the capital of Kabardino-Balkarian republic Nalchik held by information agency «Caucasus Times» on 10-25 December 2008 demonstrated large-scale corruption in Kabardino-Balkaria and high level of concern of the local population by that problem. It turned out that overwhelming majority of those polled had direct personal experience with some forms of corruption. 75% of respondents are certain that the level of corruption in their republic is going either to remain stable or even to increase in the years to come.
Responding to a question on where the problem of corruption is the most urgent, overwhelming majority of respondents indicated education (78%), followed by law enforcement agencies (64%) and tax authorities (56%). 53% of those polled believe that issue of corruption is the most urgent problem in medical health system while 48% think that court system is the most corrupted structure in the republic. It should be noted that only 29% think that social care system belongs to the most corrupted in Kabardino-Balkaria. 2% of respondents reported difficulties in answering this question.
Poll results show that overwhelming majority of Nalchik residents had direct personal experience with different forms of curruption in various spheres. Thus, almost half of those polled (47%) noticed that they personally faced cases of corruption in education system while 35% of respondents indicated they had personal experience with corruption in health care system. 27% of those polled had personal experience with corruption in law enforcement agencies and 16% - in tax system. Only one-fifth of all respondents stated that they did not face any manifestations of corruption. 2% of respondents could not answer that question.
Most respondents were rather sceptical in their judgements of changes in scale of corruption in Kabardino-Balkaria in recent years. Thus, majority of respondents (76%) reported that scale of curruption in their republic either did not change (33%), increased (23%) or “rather increased” (20%). Only 7% of those polled felt that scale of curruption “rather decreased” and only 1% - decreased. 16% said they could not answer this question.
People’s expectations concerning possible developments in scale of corruption in Kabardino-Balkaria in the nearest future proved to be also rather pessimistic. Thus, overwhelming majority of Nalchik residents don’t expect and changes for better in that sphere in the near future. People strongly believe that during next several years scale of corruption in their republic will either remain at the same level (24%), will increase (22%) or will “rather increase” (29%). Among those polled, only 11% expressed hope that scale of corruption would “rather decrease” and 4% - would decrease. Overall number of pessimists in that case is 75% while overall number of optimists only 15%. At the same time, 10% of respondents reported difficulties in answering this question.
Most of those polled Nalchik residents (65%) are certain that major source of corruption in their republic are local authorities. Responding to a question about sources of corruption, respondents demonstrated high level of self-criticism by pointing out that second major source of corruption in Kabardino-Balkaria is the local population (41%). At the same time, respondents were quite indulgent about federal authorities. Thus, only 29% indicated federal authorities as major source of corruption, which is significantly lower number than number of those who reported local authorities as major corruption source. 12% of respodents could not answer this question.
In spite of people’s concern about corruption problems and their rather pessimistic expectations about possible developments in that sphere in the years to come, Nalchik residents demonstarted quite positive attitudes towards Kabardino-Balkarian political leadership for last several years. Thus, 26% of Nalchik residents were positive and 23% were “rather positive” about the activities of the republican leaders while 12% gave them negative and 29% - “rather negative” assessments. Overall number of those who tend to assess republican leadership positively is almost half of all respondents (49%) while number of pessimists is somewhat lower (41%).
Responding to a question about the most urgent problems Kabardino-Balkaria is currently facing, majority of those polled indicated unemployment (66%). Among the most burning issues for Kabardino-Balkaria respondents also indicated corruption (52%), social insecurity (42%), poor quality of education (38%), religious extremism (35%) and interethnic relations (34%). At the same time, 11% found it impossible to answer this question.
It is worth of noting that previous opinion poll in Nalchik held in August 2008 when respondents were asked the same question had quite similar findings. Thus, overwhelming majority of respondents in Nalchik in August 2008 indicated social and economic problems, especially unemployment and low salaries, as the most burning issue for their republic. The second most important problem mentioned by the respondents were shortcomings of the local authorities, particularly their lack of professionalism and corruption (50%). It should also be noted that during earlier opinion polls in Kabardino-Balkaria social and economic problems also dominated among other issues urgent for Kabardino-Balkaria. Thus, during opinion poll in Nalchik in September 2005 almost all respondents (95%) stated that social and economis issues were the most urgent problem for their republic.
Research findings indicate that as several years ago, overwhelming majority of Nalchik residents continue to think that problems related to social and economic sphere, including corruption, represent major problem for Kabardino-Balkaria.