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People want Fahim as PM: IRI
* 90pc planning to vote
* Poll claims Pakistanis already convinced PML-Q will lose
* 75pc demand Musharrafs resignation
By Khalid Hasan
WASHINGTON: An International Republican Institute (IRI) poll released on Monday revealed that 77 percent of Pakistanis would prefer Makhdoom Amin Fahim to be the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP)s candidate for prime minister.
According to the IRI poll, which represents a sample of 3,845 adults who were questioned between January 19 and 29, 66 percent of the respondents said they wanted Makhdoom Amin Fahim to lead the PPP until Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari comes of age. On the likeability of various political personalities, 66 percent said they liked Makhdoom Amin Fahim, 55 percent said they liked Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, and 37 percent said they liked PPP Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari.
When asked to choose their top choice for prime minister, 56 percent opted for PPPs Makhdoom Amin Fahim, while 15 percent chose PML-Ns Javed Hashmi and 12 percent supported PML-Qs Pervaiz Elahi.
Interest high: The poll, which has a margin of error of plus or minus 1.69 percent, showed that interest in the elections remains high, with 90 percent of respondents saying they were either very likely, or somewhat likely to vote. Support for the political parties appeared to centre on the PPP, with it winning 44 percent of the support in Punjab, 74 percent in Sindh, 37 percent in NWFP and 44 percent in Balochistan.
Already decided: According to the IRI, Pakistanis have already decided that the PML-Q should not win. On which party would win the most seats if the elections were free and fair, 58 percent of the respondents said the PPP, 22 percent said the PML-N and 13 percent said the PML-Q. Seventy-nine percent also said that they would believe the elections to be rigged if the PML-Q won the most seats. On whether they would support protests against the government if the PML-Q was declared the winner, 55 percent replied yes, pointing at a potential for post-election turmoil should that event occur.
As many as 93 percent of Pakistanis believe that Benazir Bhuttos death has weakened the federation, with 62 percent of them blaming the government for her demise, and only 13 percent holding Al Qaeda responsible. The poll also showed that voters expressed concern regarding rising Islamic fundamentalism, with 73 percent stating that religious extremism is a serious problem in Pakistan. However, only 33 percent of Pakistanis supported the army fighting extremists in NWFP and just nine percent felt that Pakistan should cooperate with the United States in its war on terror. When asked about the direction that the country was headed in, an all-time high of 84 percent said it was headed in the wrong direction.
Nearly half of the population is pessimistic about their economic future, and economic issues are prominent in the minds of voters.
Eroded: The poll showed that President Pervez Musharrafs political position has severely eroded, with his popularity and approval ratings falling to all-time lows. It said that 75 percent of Pakistanis want his resignation. The number has increased eight points from the last poll. Seventy-two percent also said that the president was not doing a good job. Fifty-seven percent of respondents said that Musharrafs performance had lowered their opinion of the army.
Daily Times - Leading News Resource of Pakistan
* 90pc planning to vote
* Poll claims Pakistanis already convinced PML-Q will lose
* 75pc demand Musharrafs resignation
By Khalid Hasan
WASHINGTON: An International Republican Institute (IRI) poll released on Monday revealed that 77 percent of Pakistanis would prefer Makhdoom Amin Fahim to be the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP)s candidate for prime minister.
According to the IRI poll, which represents a sample of 3,845 adults who were questioned between January 19 and 29, 66 percent of the respondents said they wanted Makhdoom Amin Fahim to lead the PPP until Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari comes of age. On the likeability of various political personalities, 66 percent said they liked Makhdoom Amin Fahim, 55 percent said they liked Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, and 37 percent said they liked PPP Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari.
When asked to choose their top choice for prime minister, 56 percent opted for PPPs Makhdoom Amin Fahim, while 15 percent chose PML-Ns Javed Hashmi and 12 percent supported PML-Qs Pervaiz Elahi.
Interest high: The poll, which has a margin of error of plus or minus 1.69 percent, showed that interest in the elections remains high, with 90 percent of respondents saying they were either very likely, or somewhat likely to vote. Support for the political parties appeared to centre on the PPP, with it winning 44 percent of the support in Punjab, 74 percent in Sindh, 37 percent in NWFP and 44 percent in Balochistan.
Already decided: According to the IRI, Pakistanis have already decided that the PML-Q should not win. On which party would win the most seats if the elections were free and fair, 58 percent of the respondents said the PPP, 22 percent said the PML-N and 13 percent said the PML-Q. Seventy-nine percent also said that they would believe the elections to be rigged if the PML-Q won the most seats. On whether they would support protests against the government if the PML-Q was declared the winner, 55 percent replied yes, pointing at a potential for post-election turmoil should that event occur.
As many as 93 percent of Pakistanis believe that Benazir Bhuttos death has weakened the federation, with 62 percent of them blaming the government for her demise, and only 13 percent holding Al Qaeda responsible. The poll also showed that voters expressed concern regarding rising Islamic fundamentalism, with 73 percent stating that religious extremism is a serious problem in Pakistan. However, only 33 percent of Pakistanis supported the army fighting extremists in NWFP and just nine percent felt that Pakistan should cooperate with the United States in its war on terror. When asked about the direction that the country was headed in, an all-time high of 84 percent said it was headed in the wrong direction.
Nearly half of the population is pessimistic about their economic future, and economic issues are prominent in the minds of voters.
Eroded: The poll showed that President Pervez Musharrafs political position has severely eroded, with his popularity and approval ratings falling to all-time lows. It said that 75 percent of Pakistanis want his resignation. The number has increased eight points from the last poll. Seventy-two percent also said that the president was not doing a good job. Fifty-seven percent of respondents said that Musharrafs performance had lowered their opinion of the army.
Daily Times - Leading News Resource of Pakistan