Chernihiv Expert: Fifth Season

On February 17, at 11.00, a presentation of the Expert Expert Expert 2009, an annual survey, which traditionally conducts the Analytical Center “Polissya Fund of International and Regional Research” in order to determine the dynamics of expert assessment of socio-political and socio-economic and socio-economic, was present in the press club “Chernihiv Region” Expert 2009, which traditionally conducts the Analytical Center of the Polissya Fund of International and Regional Studies in order to determine the dynamics of expert assessment of the socio-political and socio-economic situation.

During the presentation, the experts of the Polissya Fund Gennady Maxak and Yuri Vdovenko spoke about the main conclusions from the expert poll. The dynamics of expert assessments for 2006-2009 in the sphere of activity of authorities and self-government, political parties, mass media, and public sector activity were also shown.

According to the results of the expert rating, the winners were identified and awarded in the nominations: “The most influential political force in Chernihiv in 2009”, “The most influential local public organization in 2009”, “The most authoritative mass media in Chernihiv in 2009”.

We bring to your attention a brief overview of the results of the survey.

I. Socio-political situation in Chernihiv region

1. The increase in the influence on the formation of public opinion in the Chernihiv region was observed by all analyzed entities while maintaining the structure of influence.

2. Among the central authorities, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine had the most significant influence on the formation of public opinion in the Chernihiv region. 2009, compared to 2008, was characterized by a significant increase in influence on the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine, while significantly falling the authority of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine and the Secretariat of the President of Ukraine.

3. The respondents called Yulia Tymoshenko to the unconditional leader among political figures who form public opinion in the region. Petro Symonenko has the least significant impact on public sentiment.

4. Leadership positions on the formation of public opinion in the Chernihiv region continue to maintain central media, the role of which tends to grow during election races (2007 and 2009).

5. A significant increase in the role of local self -government bodies in the formation of the moods of the territorial community of the region has been recorded, and from year to year the share of experts, called regional and local mass media, is increased from year to year by one of the determining factors of public opinion formation in Chernihiv.

6. In 2009, the influence of NGOs increased significantly.

7. Experts almost unanimously gave a negative assessment of changes in the economy of the region. The tendency to worsen the situation has been observed since 2007. The industrial and financial sectors have been most devastating in the crisis, the largest proportion of positive changes is recorded in agroindustrial complex.

8. In 2009, in 2009, according to experts, there was no significant changes in the level of freedom of speech. However, there was a tendency to reduce the availability of objective information to the residents of the region.

9. In assessing the transparency of decision -making by local authorities, negative estimates of dynamics prevail.

10. The improvement of the public control of local authorities last year was indicated by 1.8 times more respondents than in 2008.

11. In the field of crime fighting, since 2007, there has been a tendency to worsen the situation.

12. In general, local authorities in Chernihiv in 2009, as in previous years, continued to lose their trust. Interesting is the fact that the greatest “losses” are reputated by representative authorities.

13. Last year, as in 2008, according to experts, the authorities cooperated most effectively with public organizations, and the least effective measures to establish cooperation with local business. Since 2006, experts have noted the annual deterioration of the situation on the development of effective cooperation of regional authorities and business.

14. The most striking event of 2009 was called the project of the Chernihiv City Council “728” and the opening of the monument I. Mazepa.

15. The leadership positions on the efficiency of work were preserved by the Chernihiv Regional State Administration and the Chernihiv City Council.

II. The development of a public sector in the region

1. 2009 was characterized by a significant increase in the level of influence of public organizations in Chernihiv.

2. The most effective public organizations coped with tasks such as the control of the public by the actions of the authorities, the protection of the interests of individual groups of the population and to promote the development of a democratic society. The most critical evaluations of experts have received such areas of work as the struggle for civil rights and social justice.

3.

4. Experts called the experts in 2009 the unconditional leader in the influence of the Public Opinion. The second place is occupied by the NGO “For Chernihiv!”.

III. Development of regional information space

1. In 2009, experts pointed to a significant reduction in the objectivity of local media.

2. Almost half of the experts have evaluated the level of accessibility of objective information as average.

3. The overall rating of the popularity of the media last year has fully repeated the results of the 2008 survey. Both at the city level and at the level of the region are the most popular among experts: information publications on the Internet; local newspapers; local TV channels; Local radio.

4. During 2006-2009, it was an increase in the popularity of virtually all media. The largest dynamics were demonstrated on the Internet, local newspapers and TV channels.

5. The level of dependence of local media on owners, local authorities and business structures remains stable. The least dependent regional media on NGOs.

6. The dependence of the media on local authorities is gradually declining. They steadily strengthen their influence on the media of business structures and NGOs. The influence of political parties is usually increased during election campaigns.

7. The most authoritative in Chernihiv region in 2009 was the editions “High Shaft”, “7 days” and “Hart”.

IV. Activities of political parties

1. The vast majority of experts tend to evaluate the influence of local political parties as insignificant. The gradual reduction of the influence of local political parties has been observed since 2006.

2. Traditionally, local political parties have had a significant impact on local self -government bodies, local executive authorities and the media. The least dependent on political parties were public organizations.

3. Last year, most political events that attracted the experts’ attention were related to the presidential election campaign.

4. Experts continue to remain the most influential political force in Chernihiv region Yulia Tymoshenko.

5. At the level of the region, the process of concentration of the influence of two political forces (BYuT and PR) takes place. A number of political parties, which in the results of previous surveys to some extent influenced events in the region, in 2009, either not mentioned by experts at all, or have a significant negative dynamics of the analyzed indicator.