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Democracy low on Egyptians' lists of priorities
Published in Youm7 on 06 - 06 - 2011

CAIRO: Only three percent of Egyptians listed ‘democracy' as Egypt's single greatest problem in a recent study done by the International Republican Institute (IRI). Topping the list of concerns were unemployment (37%), security and crime (21%) and corruption and financial scandals (11%).
Only one percent listed human rights as Egypt's greatest problem.
Asked which areas were in need of the greatest development, democracy again found itself at the bottom of the list, preceded by education, health care, private sector/business, support to local governorates, and infrastructure programs.
Yet this should not be taken as an indication that democracy is not important to Egyptians: according to the survey, lack of democracy was the third largest reason Egyptians participated or supported the recent January 25 Revolution.
What's more, 72 percent said they were very likely to vote in Egypt's upcoming parliamentary elections - only 3 percent said they were unlikely to vote - and an overwhelming 89 percent said Egypt is moving in the right direction. An even more overwhelming 94 percent approved of former president Hosni Mubarak's decision to step down.
In a country where arguably half the population lives under the international poverty line – reliant on less than $2 dollars per day to survive - it is understandable that unemployment would be their number one concern.
And because of the revolution, most Egyptians expect their family's financial situation to get better over the next year.
Respondents said security, direct foreign investment and living standards have gotten worse over the past year, while government corruption, political reform and the development of independent media have gotten better. Healthcare and unemployment have stayed the same.
Also significant is that among public leaders, Egyptians' opinion of politics and current events is most strongly influenced by military leaders (36% said military leaders have a strong influence on their opinions), followed by religious leaders (15%), political party leaders (7%), and union leaders (6%). Heads of households and peers were much more likely to influence people's opinions.
The survey also revealed that around 29 percent of Egyptians access the internet, mostly from home; 23 percent of Egyptians are on Facebook; and 6 percent of Egyptians are on Twitter.
Asked to choose which country they would rather have close ties with out of pairs of countries, Egyptians preferred relations with the United States over Russia or Iran but picked China over the United States. They would prefer relations with Saudi Arabia over Iran or Syria, but picked Syria over Jordan and Jordan over Iran.
The poll was conducted April 14-27 with 1,200 Egyptians, 50 percent male and 50 percent females, in Cairo, Alexandria, the Nile Delta, and Upper Egypt. Of those polled, 43 percent lived in urban areas and 57 percent in rural areas.
IRI gave a margin of error of plus or minus 2.78 with a 95 percent confidence level.
Poll results:
Are things going in the right direction or the wrong direction?
- 89% Right
- 9% Wrong
- 1% Don't know/ refused to answer (DK/REF)
Current economic situation:
- 5% Very good
- 14% Somewhat good
- 32% Somewhat bad
- 49% Very bad
Do you expect your family's financial situation to get better or worse over the next year?
- 32% Much better
- 48% Somewhat better
- 9% Somewhat worse
- 4% Much worse
- 4% Same
- 3% DK/REF
What describes your current economic situation?
- 41% I have trouble seeding myself and my family and buying even the most essential things for survival
- 37% I have enough means for survival, but I do not have enough money for extra things
- 17% I am able to afford things like new clothes and eating at restaurants, but not very often
- 3% I am able to afford things like new clothes and eating out and also support other members of my family who cannot
- 2% DK/REF
Please say whether each individual's opinion has a strong influence, some influence or no influence on you and your opinion on current events and politics:
Religious leader:
- 54% No influence
- 27% Some influence
- 15% Strong influence
- 5% DK/REF
Union leader:
- 72% No influence
- 18% Some influence
- 7% DK/REF
- 3% Strong influence
Political party leader:
- 68% No influence
- 21% Some influence
- 7% Strong influence
- 5% DK/REF
Military leader:
- 36% Strong influence
- 33% No influence
- 28% Some influence
- 4% DK/REF
Head of household:
- 47% Strong influence
- 26% Some influence
- 24% No influence
- 3% DK/REF
Friends and peers:
- 47% Some influence
- 31% No influence
- 19% Strong influence
- 3% DK/REF
Do you approve of Hosni Mubarak's resignation as president of Egypt?
- 84% Strongly approve
- 10% Approve
- 2% Disapprove
- 3% Strongly disapprove
What is the single biggest problem facing Egypt as a whole?
- 37% Unemployment
- 21% Security/crime
- 11% Corruption and financial scandals
- 3% Democracy
- 1% Human rights
Respondents were asked to choose three issues. The total percentages they received are below:
- 63% Unemployment
- 53% Security/crime
- 33% Corruption and financial scandals
- 30% Poverty
- 23% Wages and salaries
- 12% Discipline/morality in society
- 11% Economy
- 9% Housing
- 8% Human rights
- 7% Transitional government
- 6% Democracy
- 6% Free elections
- Other: 38%
Which issues are in need of the greatest development?
- Education programs
- Health care
- Private sector/business development
- Support to local governorates
- Infrastructure programs
- Democracy programs
How confident are you that the current government is able to address the main issues facing Egypt today?
- 39% Very confident
- 38% Somewhat confident
- 13% Not very confident
- 8% Not confidant at all
- 2% DK/REF
What is your opinion on the timing of parliamentary elections in September?
- 51% The right time
- 25% Not soon enough
- 21% Too soon
- 3% DK/REF
How likely are you to vote in the upcoming parliamentary elections?
- 72% very likely
- 23% somewhat likely
- 1% not likely
- 2% not likely at all
- 3% DK/REF
If parliamentary elections were held next week, which party or group would you vote for?
- 65% Don't know
- 6% Independents
- 6% al-Wafd Party
- 4% REF
- 4% National party
- 3% el-Eslaah wal Tanmia
- 2% Muslim Brotherhood
- 2% Other
- 2% Nassarian Party
- 2% Omma Party
- 1% 25 January Party
- 1% al-Tagammu Party
- 1% al-Ghad Party
- 1% No particular party
- 1% Democratic Party
- 1% Wasat party
Do you approve or disapprove of the institutions listed below?
Court system
- 53% approve
- 41% disapprove
Political parties
- 78% disapprove
- 16% approve
Government Media
- 66% disapprove
- 19% approve
Independent Media
- 57% disapprove
- 37% approve
Business community
- 69% disapprove
- 21% approve
If parliamentary elections were held today, would you know where to vote?
- 65% Yes
- 34% No
- 2% DK/REF
Which type of party would you support?
- 68% New party
- 14% Currently established party
- 18% DK/REF
Would you consider voting for a qualified candidate under the age of 35 for each of the following offices?
Municipal council
- 39% Definitely consider
- 35% Might consider
- 22% Would not consider
Member of Governorate Council
- 38% Definitely consider
- 34% Might consider
- 24% Would not consider
- 4% DK
Member of Parliament
- 39% Definitely consider
- 37% Night consider
- 21% Would not consider
To what extent did you support the events of January 25?
- 82% Strongly support
- 13% Somewhat support
- 2% Somewhat not support
- 4% Not support at all
Do you think these events will shape Egypt for the better or worse?
- 53% Much better
- 36% Somewhat better
- 5% Stay the same
- 2% Somewhat worse
- 3% Much worse
- 1% DK/REF
Did you participate in any of the protests during the revolution?
- 72% No
- 28% Yes
- 1% DK/REF
How did you participate?
- 25% Street protests
- 1% Workers' strikes
- 2% Online on face book or Twitter
- 72% Did not participate
- 1% DK/REF
If you participated in a protest, what was the first day you attended a rally?
- Jan 25: 22%
- Jan 26: 2%
- Jan 27: 3%
- Jan 28: 40%
- Jan 29: 10%
- Jan 30: 3%
- Jan 31: 2%
- After Jan 31: 14%
- DK/REF: 4%
How did you get your information during the revolution?
- 84% Television
- 6% Word of mouth
- 6% Facebook
- 2% internet news sites
Asked to give three responses, the totals are below:
- 97% Television
- 72% Word of mouth
- 28% SMS
- 16% Newspapers
- 16% Radio
- Facebook
- Internet news sites
- Email
- Twitter
Which factors influenced you to support or participate in the protests?
- 64% Low living standard/ lack of jobs
- 19% Lack of democracy and political reform
- 6% Encouraged by family or friends/ recent events in Tunisia
- 3% The death of Khaled Said
- 2% Other
- 1% DK
Where are you most likely to get your local news information?
First response:
- 82% Television
- 6% Word of mouth or internet
- 4% Newspapers
- 1% Sms
- 1% Radio
- 1% Place of worship
Overall:
- 98% Television
- 67% Word of mouth
- 36% Newspapers
- 28% Sms
- 22% Internet
- 16% Radio
- 11% Place of worship


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