BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

November 1, 2005

Union with Belarus Proceeding Ineffectively for Russians

CREDIT: UN/DPI Photo

Aleksandr Lukashenko

(Angus Reid Global Scan) - Many adults in the Russian Federation are concerned about the state of affairs with a neighbouring former Soviet Republic, according to a poll by the All-Russian Public Opinion Research Center. 43 per cent of respondents believe the process to create a union between Russia and Belarus has developed slowly and ineffectively.

Conversely, nine per cent of respondents believe the union will be created soon, and 26 per cent believe the situation has reached a deadlock.

In July, Russian president Vladimir Putin voiced his support for a proposed economic unification of Russia and Belarus, saying, "Russia needs the union. We need it in a geopolitical sense and most important of all, we are a single nation on the whole. (...) In a broad sense, we are a single nation and we will only benefit if we unite, having gained advantages in relations with other countries."

Putin and Belarusian president Aleksandr Lukashenko signed a bilateral treaty in late 1999, where the two nations agreed to eventually merge their tax systems and currencies.

On Oct. 21, a draft version of the proposed Constitutional Act of the Union State of Russia and Belarus was presented. The proposal calls for a 103-member House of Representatives-including 28 lawmakers from Belarus-and a 72-member House of the Union, with equal legislators from the two nations.

A presidential election for the proposed union is expected in 2006. Russian media outlets have speculated that Putin could seek the position, with Lukashenko as his vice-president.

Yesterday, Lukashenko approved a draft agreement that ensures the equal rights of citizens of the two countries, including freedom of movement.

Polling Data

How would you say the process to create an union between Russia and Belarus has developed?

Successfully, the union will be created soon

Slowly and ineffectively

43%

The process has clearly reached a deadlock

26%

Hard to answer

22%

Source: All-Russian Public Opinion Research Center

Methodology: Interviews with 1,600 Russian adults, conducted on Sept. 24 and Sept. 25, 2005. Margin of error is 3.4 per cent.

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