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Patriarch Ilia II has long been the most trusted person in Georgia. (Photo courtesy of the Georgian Orthodox Church.)

TBILISI, DFWatch–92 percent of Georgians say they like Patriarch Ilia II, who for many years has been the most trusted person in the country.

According to a new survey published by the National Democratic Institute (NDI) on Monday, 75 percent say they like Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili. 8 percent say they dislike him. When it comes to President Mikheil Saakashvili, 25 percent say they like him, while 51 percent say they dislike the president.

In November, 2012, 29 percent said they liked Saakashvili, while 51 percent disliked him. In August, 2012, two months before the parliamentary election, 61 percent of respondents said they liked the president, while 20 percent said they didn’t like him.

In November, 2012, 90 percent said they liked the prime minister, compared to 7 percent, who disliked him, while in August of 2012, 39 percent said they liked PM against 29 percent.

NDI surveys are financed by Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA) and are conducted by Caucasus Research Resource Center (CRRC).