The survey was conducted across Ukraine between October 6 to 22, 2022 by Info Sapiens on behalf of the Center for Insights in Survey Research of the International Republican Institute (IRI) in collaboration with Internews Ukraine within the scope of the USAID RADA: Next Generation Program.
The survey was conducted through computer-assisted telephone interviews (CATI) using a random sample of mobile phone numbers. The total sample of 1,609 respondents was comprised of Ukrainian residents aged 18+ and eligible to vote (the sample does not include residents of the occupied territories, where Ukrainian mobile operators do not provide mobile connections, as well as Ukrainians who have moved abroad). The surveyed sample is representative of the population of Ukraine in terms of gender, age and settlement size (the theoretical margin of error does not exceed 2.4%).
The level of knowledge of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine (VRU)
Most of Ukrainians (69%) know (“a great deal” + “something”) about VRU, only 7% of the respondents answered that they know “nothing” about VRU. The largest number of informed respondents live in Kyiv, the smallest one live in the South and East of Ukraine.
The level of trust in the VRU
56% of Ukrainians “completely” or “rather” trust VRU as an institution, and only 11% “do not trust at all”. The highest level of trust is among young people aged 18-24 (89%), the vast majority of whom believe that the processes in the Parliament are transparent. In general, 40% of respondents consider the VRU’s work as transparent.
Understanding of the VRU’s functions
More than half of Ukrainian citizens (52%) consider the “legislative activity, drafting and adoption of legislation” one of the Parliament’s main functions. Among others most mentioned functions are “caring for citizens, responsibility for their well-being” (7%) and “representing the interests of voters” (6%). 17% of respondents found it difficult to mention the Parliament’s functions.
The main issues during the martial law
The majority of Ukrainians believe that the main issues that the VRU should focus on during martial law are "the material assistance for socially vulnerable groups like IDPs” (59%) and "control over the spending of budget funds" (51%).
Sources of information about the activities of the VRU
The main sources of information about the Parliament’s activities for citizens are “social media” (65%) and “central TV channels” (54%). Almost two-thirds of respondents named the information about the activities of the VRU as “understandable”.
The VRU’s digital service
“Electronic Petitions” is the VRU’s most popular digital service: half of the respondents are informed about it; a quarter of respondents have used it. The services “Public Discussion of Bills” and “The web portal Citizen's Electronic Cabinet” have significant potential: almost a quarter of respondents did not know about these services but they plan to use them in the future.
The awareness of the MPs
Only 39% of Ukrainians know the MP’s name elected in their constituency. The level of awareness is higher in villages (46%), the lowest one is in large cities (26%). Among the internally displaced respondents, only 9% knew the MP’s name elected in their constituency.
The awareness of the MPs’ activities
The main sources of information about the MPs’ activities are “social media” (50%) and “central TV channels” (45%). Half of Ukrainians (52%) believe that MPs elected in their constituencies do not provide the “sufficient information about their activities” (citizens over the age of 45 answered that the information is “not sufficient” and it is “not fully understandable”). Only 5% of respondents know about the MP’s legislative activities elected in their constituency.
Priorities for MPs to focus on
Almost half of Ukrainians (48%) considered the "securing interests of his or her district” as the most important priority for MPs; another third of respondents named the "meeting with voters", the "controlling governmental agencies and other public authorities" and the "drafting legislation" as priorities for MPs to focus on.
Essential aspects during MPs elections
According to respondents, the most important aspects to consider when electing a Deputy were their honesty and ability to keep promises (27%), their personal characteristics (21%), and willingness to secure the interests of the people and hear their needs (20%). A candidate’s platform and their previous political experience are slightly more important for younger respondents (ages 18-34).
Appeals to MPs
Only 12% of Ukrainians have ever contacted MPs (14% of those who reached an MP did it after the implementation of martial law). At the same time, those who reached out to an MP to resolve an issue have solved a problem at all (44%) or partially (19%).
Engagement with the MP in wartime
Since Russia's full-scale invasion, the need for engagement with the MP stayed the same for most citizens (75%) compared to pre-war contexts. However, 8% stated that such demand increased. Personal meetings, messages on social media, and meetings with voters were rated as the most convenient ways of communication with an MP. Only 42% reported regular engagement and communication are present in their district.
Awareness about local party branches
35% of Ukrainian citizens knew which parties had offices in their settlements. Only one in ten has contacted a political party with a question or a problem. (among them, resolved more than a third of requests and partially a quarter).
Importance of the MP's party affiliation
MP’s party affiliation was important for 54% of the population. Among residents of Kyiv and the Western parts of Ukraine, party affiliation was more important (70% and 60%, respectively).
If you have questions about the survey, please contact Lesia Khomenko, the research specialist at the International Republican Institute (lkhomenko@iri.org).
These materials are made possible by the generous support of the American people through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The contents do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the United States Government. The materials were published as part of the USAID RADA: Next Generation Program, which is a five-year initiative (2021-2026) implemented by the NGO "Internews-Ukraine".
More details about the Program can be read at
https://internews.ua/en/rang/about,
https://www.facebook.com/usaidradaprogram/.
Download