According to a survey conducted by the Expert Community national institute, 52% of respondents favored Lukashenko, who the U.S. State Department has branded "the last dictator in Europe" and whose country now faces the possibility of sanctions being imposed by the European Union. A total of 47% opted for Nazarbayev, who has something of a reputation in Western countries as a strongman reformer overseeing a vibrant economy.
The two presidents are followed by Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko (23%), who was brought to power by the "orange revolution" in winter 2004, and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev (14%), the son of Heidar Aliyev, who had been at the helm of the country for more than thirty years when he died in 2003. The other CIS leaders won less than 10%.
According to the survey, Lukashenko and Nazarbayev are more popular with older respondents, whereas Yushchenko won more sympathy with young people.
The research was conducted in 27 cities of Russia in October, and polled 1,600 people.
