PORT OF SPAIN (Trinidad Express):
A MULTIMILLION-DOLLAR poll commissioned by the People's National Movement (PNM) govern-ment in 2005 shows that the majority of people are dissatisfied with the way the Patrick Manning administration has been running the country for the past four years.
It also reflects growing concern for the crime situation over this period, resulting in citizens now feeling unsafe.
URGENT ISSUES
According to the results of the Market Opinion and Research International (MORI) poll conducted between January 29 and April 1, 2005, citizens cited crime, unemployment, health, HIV/AIDS, poverty, inflation and flooding as issues that need the government's urgent attention.
MORI, a United Kingdom-based polling company run by British pollster Professor Robert Worcester, was commissioned by the Ministry of Public Administration and Information in 2002 to conduct opinion polls each year, aimed at assessing its performance, and informing its policies and decisions.
FINDINGS
The 2005 results, which were published in September last year but are yet to be released as a public document, include the following findings:
Fifty-five per cent of the population have been dissatisfied since 2002 with the way the government is running the country.
Asked what were the most important issues facing the country, 87 per cent said crime; 39 per cent unemployment; 32 per cent, health; 30 per cent said HIV/AIDS, 25 per cent poverty/inequality; 21 per cent said inflation and 10 per cent said flooding.
Forty-nine per cent of citizens also said they felt T&T was generally unsafe, while an additional 38 per cent said they did not feel safe in their local area.
Asked about the image of the police, 43 per cent of citizens felt they were corrupt, 41 per cent said they delivered poor service, 32 per cent said they were slow, 30 per cent said they were unresponsive and 25 per cent said their performance was unsatisfactory.
Thirty-four per cent of citizens said they have some confidence in political parties and 39 per cent in Parliament.
NOT A NEW DEVELOPMENT
The poll notes in the executive summary that "the high level of concern about crime is not a new development. Crime has been at the top of the list of the nation's priorities, though it is worth remembering that in 2002, the total number of people who mentioned crime (56 per cent) was much lower than in all subsequent years (87 per cent).
