MOSCOW, January 17, 2007 Russian Public Opinion Research Center (VCIOM) presents information on how Russians see an ideal president of the country; how they estimate the extent of presidential powers that he should possess and what social layers respondents think he should form his team from.

An ideal president should first of all be a wise politician, the real "father of the nation", as 48% of respondents believe. A little smaller share of respondents (42%) think that he should in the first place be a modern and effective executive. Respondents with high estimation of own financial standing would rather like to see an effective executive at the head of the state (53% versus 39%), whereas respondents with a lower index of the same factor would prefer "the father of the nation" (55% versus 38%).

President of Russia already possesses a sufficient amount of presidential powers granted to him by the Constitution, nothing should be changed about it, as more than half of respondents identify (58%). 7% of respondents speak in favour of limiting presidential powers of the Head of state, whereas 22%, on the contrary, think that they should be extended. The idea to extend presidential powers is especially characteristic of LDPR supporters (32%; cf.: 25% of "Unified Russia" supporters and the same share of "Fair Russia" voters adhere to this point of view, whereas a still less numerous share of KPRF voters does - 21%).

The new president should form his team out of scientists, lawyers and economists; he should also appoint representatives of these professions onto executive positions (as 47% specify). It could be nice if people who have never had anything to do with politics (23%), governors, their assistants, mayors of big cities (23%), deputies, politicians, leaders of political parties (22%) as well as ministerial officials of high rank, as well as members of President's administration (20%), military personnel, law enforcement officials and undercover people (20%) became part of the President's team. In this aspect respondents give less trust to successful businessmen (14%), people of art, and still less to the new President's friends or acquaintances (2%).

Respondents with high estimation of own financial standing consider it to be more useful and effective for the country that the new President appoint professional politicians and executives, i.e. deputies, leaders of political parties (26% versus 21%) than respondents with low estimation of own financial standing do. The same refers to ministerial officials of high rank and members of the President's administration (21% versus 16%) and successful businessmen (23% versus 11%). At the same time respondents well provided for express less confidence than respondents with low estimation of own financial standing do in the fact that scientists, lawyers and economists (45% versus 52%) as well as people without any previous experience in politics (14% versus 29%) will be able to cope with the job of the leading politicians.

The initiative all-Russia opinion poll was conducted by VCIOM on July 21-22, 2007. 1595 respondents were interviewed in 153 population areas of 46 regions of Russia. The statistical error does not exceed 3.4%.