Regarding the latest statements made by former Kyrgyzstan president Almazbek Atambaev, DEMOSCOPE Bureau for Express Monitoring of Public Opinion has conducted a public opinion poll to find out what people of Kazakhstan think about the topic “Are Kazakh and Kyrgyz peoples are brother nations forever?” 1,822 people from large cities and rural areas were interviewed, with the majority of women (70%). The poll results were published without mentioning the names of respondents.
So, when answering the question “Did you change your attitude towards Kyrgyzstan’s citizens after Almazbek Atambaev had made his statements about living in Kazakhstan, its oligarchs and elite shortly before the presidential election?” 84% of the respondents said they didn’t change their attitude and Kyrgyz people still brother nation for them. Two opposite answers “Yes, I changed it to negative” and “Yes, I changed it to positive” gathered 3% of votes each.
10% of the interviewees didn’t change their attitude, because they had never considered Kyrgyz people as brother nation.
At the same time, 61% of the poll participants noted that Atambaev had no right to make such kind of statement about another country, as a president cannot use such undiplomatic approach.
26% are not sure that Kazakhstan’s influence on Kyrgyzstan is so strong that such statements can be made. And only 13% think Atambaev was right as he called things by their proper names.
The majority of interviewees (47%) do not support the response of Kazakhstan side to Atambaev’s statements. “We should not respond, especially in such a way,” they think. At the same time, 26% support restricted measures of border control by Kazakhstan, as well as the import ban on dairy products and fruits from Kyrgyzstan. This group of respondents considered it’s appropriate to answer: “Taking such measures was an absolutely right step. Kyrgyz people should feel they are wrong.” 26% felt pity about the consequences as they prefer to buy Kyrgyzstan dairy products.
Regarding the predictions about the future of the relations, 40% of the people who took part in the poll of our Bureau for Express Monitoring are sure that brother relations will be retained anyway. Only 3% were pessimistic being sure the relations have been spoilt. 9% think the relations will remain cold for a while. And finally, 47% admit the relations have been spoilt, but everything will work out soon.