24.09.08

The Russian president has named combating corruption one of the priorities of his presidency. After making it a campaign promise, Medvedev signed a resolution “On Measures to Combat Corruption” almost immediately after taking office and approved a multifaceted plan prepared by an interagency on July 31. Legislation under that plan will be introduced into the State Duma before the end of the month, according to Mikhail Grishankov, deputy chairman of the Duma Security Committee.

The Public Opinion Fund conducted research in 1920 sites in 68 regions, polling 500 respondents in every region. Fund president Alexander Oslon said that the data are still “general” and its analysis unchecked. Twenty-nine percent of respondents have given bribes. Forty-four percent of those who have not acknowledge the possibility of doing so. Entrepreneurs are the most likely to give a bribe (56%).

The most corrupt places in Russia are Moscow (42% have paid bribes), Tatarstan and Krasnodar Territory (41%), Stavropol Territory (40%), Moscow Region (37%) and St. Petersburg (34%). The least corrupt places are Perm Territory (12%) and Tyumen Region (18%). There has been no research in Yakutia, Chechnya or Dagestan yet. Most Russians (54%) have a tolerant attitude toward those who take bribes. That figure ranges between 63 percent in Moscow and 32 percent in Sakhalin. Thirty-seven percent of Russians (55% in Leningrad Region, 30% in Moscow, 28% in Krasnodar Territory) strongly condemn corruption.

The full results of the research are expected to be published on the Public Opinion Fund website in two weeks.

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Source: www.kommersant.com