ndi-luis-navarro

National Democratic Institute’s Country Director for Georgia, Luis Navarro, presenting the poll on Monday. (DF Watch photo.)

TBILISI, DFWatch–If public attitudes stay the same until fall, the Georgian Dream coalition’s candidate will win the presidential election clearly, without the need for a second round.

58 percent of Georgians say they would like to see the Georgian Dream candidate as their next president. 8 percent would like to see a candidate from Saakashvili’s United National Movement, while 17 percent haven’t made up their mind.

The National Democratic Institute (NDI) on Monday published the political ratings that are part of a new survey conducted in March, 2013.

According to the poll, 62 percent of the respondents would vote for the Georgian Dream coalition’s candidate if there were local elections tomorrow. 9 percent would vote for the UNM candidate, while 17 percent say they don’t know.

60 percent of Georgians say Ivanishvili’s Georgian Dream coalition is closest to them politically, while 10 percent say Saakashvili’s United National Movement is closer.

In November, 2012, 63 percent of Georgians said Georgian Dream coalition was closer to them, while 10 percent said the UNM was closest. But in August, 2012, two months before the parliamentary election, 14 percent said Georgian Dream was closest, while 38 percent UNM was closest.

Polls conducted before the election have tended to contain a large percentage of undecided or respondents who refuse to answer, but after the parliamentary election, the picture changed and showed that Georgian Dream had increased its support significantly.

More than 3 000 respondents were questioned. NDI’s surveys are financed by Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA) and are conducted by Caucasus Research Resource Center (CRRC).