MOSCOW, September 26, 2007 Russian Public Opinion Research Center (VCIOM) presents information concerning how Russians estimate the rotation in the government.

The fact that Russian Government formerly led by M. Fradkov's is now headed by V. Zubkov, 38% of Russians identify as an important event in the life of the country. About as many respondents, 40%, consider it to be nothing more than an ordinary rotation of the staff. Every fifth respondent, 22%, found it difficult to provide any estimation. The supporters of "Unified Russia" (49% versus 34%) and "Fair Russia" (45% versus 37%) are more inclined to believe in the first point of view; voters of the Communist party KPRF (45% versus 32%) and LDPR (49% versus 27%) adhere to the second one.

On the whole, 49% of respondents supported the replacement of Prime Minister M. Fradkov with V. Zubkov, including 11% who were "definitely in favour of it". 14% disagree with them, including only 4% who are "definitely against" the replacement. More than one third of respondents (37%) find it difficult to provide any estimation so far. Respondents, who approve of V. Putin's political activity as President of the country and those (they are only 8%), who do not approve of his work (+32%, -23%) are likely to treat the replacement positively (+52%, -11%).

11% associate V. Putin's decision to discharge M. Fradkov and his cabinet with the preparation for the selections, 10% connect it with Fradkov's non-productive work, 8% with the poor performance of his government. More than half of respondents find it difficult to name the reasons for the latest discharges.

As far as Putin's official explanations of the reasons for the current discharges of the government are concerned, the respondents are on the whole inclined to believe them. Thus, 52% of respondents agree with the assertion, that Fradkov's government worked pretty well, but in view of the coming presidential and parliamentary elections, the time has come to advance fresh staff (26% do not agree with this); moreover the members of the government have started to think more about their own prospects in view of the with the forthcoming presidential elections at the expense of their work (47% share this point of view, whereas 20% disagree with them); as a result work productivity of M. Fradkov's government has drastically fallen recently; therefore he needed to have been replaced in order to give a new stimulus to the ministers (51% versus 22%).

37% of respondents assume that the work productivity of the government will rather rise as a result of this rotation. On the contrary, 8% of respondents expect that it will rather fall. And 24% are of the opinion that it will not affect its work productivity. Every third respondent, 30%, finds it difficult to provide any forecast about the matter.

The supporters of LDPR, and all the more so of "Unified Russia" and "Fair Russia" are more inclined to think that the work of the cabinet will become more productive (35%, 46% and 47%). KPRF voters are more likely to think that rotation in the government will not affect the effectiveness of its work (36%).

The All-Russia opinion poll was conducted by VCIOM on September 22-23, 2007. 1600 respondents were interviewed in 153 population areas of 46 regions of Russia. The statistical error does not exceed 3.4%.