Fifteen years after his surprise resignation, Russia's first elected president, Boris Yeltsin, remains as widely unpopular with Russians as he was when he stepped down and left the office in the hands of his successor, Vladimir Putin, a poll has revealed.
MOSCOW, December 29 (Sputnik)–According toa study published Monday byRussia's Public Opinion Research Center (VCIOM), 59 percent ofRussians believe that Yeltsin's presidency had a mostly negative impact onthe country, withthose intheir mid-50s and older being the most critical (70 percent). Only 15 percent ofrespondents described Yeltsin's legacy aspositive.
Seventy-three percent ofrespondents said the best thing Russia's first president did was tostep downwhen he did. Further, 85 percent ofRussians said Yeltsin's best decision aspresident was tohand overthe reins tothen-Prime Minister Putin.
The majority ofrespondents, 65 percent, admitted that Yeltsin's rise topower asa result ofthe country's first democratic elections in1991, was legitimate.
But only one inthree Russians said that Yeltsin had acted inthe interest ofthe majority, while 20 percent said he lobbied forthe interests ofa small group ofpeople.
Sixty percent ofrespondents argued that Yeltsin's reform plan was offcourse and only delivered onsome ofhis promises. The president's agenda was based primarily onan ambitious goal ofturning the world's biggest command economy intoa free market, an objective that pushed him toseek help fromWestern economists and international money lenders, which led toRussia's huge foreign debt.
More thana half ofrespondents also confessed their dislike forYeltsin's personality, while 25 percent said they held a positive view ofthe former president.
The nationwide research was conducted among1,600 people betweenDecember 20 and 21.
Yeltsin announced his resignation onDecember 31, 1999. In a message broadcast atmidnight, the then-68-year-old said that Vladimir Putin would take overas acting president, witha snap presidential election slated forMarch 2000. Yeltsin said that the country should enter the 21st century witha new leader, and asked forgiveness. He kept a low profile inthe followingyears, dying ofheart failure at76.