Chisinau, February 23 (Infotag). The Association of Sociologists and Demographers of Moldova (ASDM) maintains the latest ‘public opinion barometers’, published by the [pro-Communist] Institute of Public Policies for November 2004 and February 2005, simply misinformed the public opinion.

Association Chairman Victor Mocanu told a news conference in Infotag Tuesday that according to the IPP findings, “the Moldovan electorate’s outlooks did not change absolutely during the period of time in question. Mocanu claimed such a statement demonstrates but a full absence of logic and of a proper scientific methodological approach.

“The distribution of votes between only 4 political formations – the Moldovan Communist Party (62%), Christian Democratic Popular Party (12%), Democratic Moldova voting bloc (21%) and Social Democratic Party (4%) to the detriment of all other rivals (Patria-Rodina voting bloc 0.5%, Ravnopraviye [Equal Rights] Socio-Political Movement 0.2%, Centrist Union of Moldova 0.3%), and a full disappearance of 4 other parties and all 12 independent candidates with 0% -- is but professional incompetence demonstrated by both poll organizers and experts”, believes Victor Mocanu.

He named as strange and incomprehensible such a permanence of the electorate’s love for the Communist Party. At the same time, he regards as a fraud the Institute-suggested low popularity ratings of Democratic Moldova voting bloc leaders. Trust in them grew up considerably in recent months, by the IPP barometer showed that the bloc chairman, Chisinau Mayor Serafim Urechean has only 6.4%, Dumitru Braghis 1.3%, and Oleg Serebrean 0.7%.

“There is yet a more paradoxical news in the IPP barometer, saying that 6% Moldovans have never heard the name of, and know nothing about, Prime Minister Vasily Tarlev, 6% -- about Serafim Urechean, 7% -- Dumitru Braghis [ex-premier], 9% about Parliament Chairwoman Eugenia Ostapciuc, 13% about Dumitru Diakov, 19% about Victor Stepaniuk, 32% about Oazu Nantoi, and 46% about Ion Musuc”, said Mocanu.

The Association believes the above drawbacks are the consequence of ignorance and incorrect using of sociological research methodology.

“Incorrect formulation of questions and wrong calculations by category of respondents undermine the quality of the said opinion polls from the very onset. This is absolutely inadmissible in a scientific work. The methodology and techniques used in the barometers prove a definite non-professionalism of the researchers”, believe ASDM experts.