The majority of those polled who have favorable attitudes towards Putin, 54 %, would most likely re-elect President Vladimir Putin in 2008, even though he is not eligible for re-election according to the constitution, 20 % would vote for opposition candidates and 13 % wouldn't support Putin or the opposition.
Of those with a negative a negative view of the president, 15 % would most likely re-elect him, 36% would vote for the opposition and 31 % wouldn't support either.
Of the respondents, 54 % said the opposition's main function is to point out the ruling power's mistakes and 29 % viewed it as developing an alternate course to power.
Almost one-third, or 31 %, think there has been no independent and influential opposition in Russia, with only 7 % thinking the opposite. Almost one-fourth, 24 %, said the Russian opposition was independent but powerless and 14 % said it was influential, but not independent.
Of those polled, 61% said the Communist Party has an univocal reputation as the opposition party, while the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia (LDPR) and the Homeland Party were only termed as the opposition by 44 % and 41% of respondents, respectively, and 34 % and 33 %, respectively, do not consider them opposition parties. Russian right-wing parties, The Union of Right Forces (SPS) and Yabloko party are even more behind in opposition ratings, with a 36 % - 38 % balance for SPS, and 32 % - 38 % of the vote going to Yabloko.
VTsOIM polled 1,588 respondents in 153 settlements in 46 regions and republics and had a 3.4% statistical error.
