- I need to say that such an important topic as security on the Dniester disturbs sociologists and people living in Pridnestrovie. If we ask any citizen of Pridnestrovie on the street; he or she will answer that at the time when peacekeepers came here they were welcomed with bread-and-salt by the people who presented them with flowers with tears of joy, because they brought peace and turned zone of military operations into Security Zone; and it is understandable. I am the resident of Bendery and I remember these events that took place 20 years ago.
I will make a vivid example of sociological measurement – the initiatives of Voronin. These initiatives touched important spheres of mutual steps in the field of education, recognition of documents and in other fields. All these initiatives besides one were rather reasonable and were positively apprehended by Pridnestrovian society. That was the initiative that concerned the withdrawal of the peacekeeping troops. Absolute unacceptance of the proposals of Voronin arose here. If we will talk about contemporary situation, it is the case when overwhelming number of respondents talks about the necessity of presence and preservation of the peacekeeping format.
Let me cite the data concerning the polling held in May 2012. 80,2% of the respondents told firmly and confidently that the peacekeeping format here should be preserved, 12% consider that it should exist. It is more than 90% in sum. We see that this refers to the issue that caused no variant readings among Pridnestrovian people.
At present moment only 57% of Pridnestrovian citizens tell, that aggression will not repeat. At the same time people feel safe with the presence of the peacekeeping contingent. I think if I would dare to say, that the Pridnestrovians are grateful to the peacekeeping forces for their activity, for their everyday laborious work, I think I would not be wrong. They really treat them with gratitude. And we must congratulate them on the Day of the Peacekeeper.
Such kind of researches was not held on the territory of the Republic of Moldova, but it should be mentioned that the situation there is slightly different. There are forces which consider that there should be no Russian presence. Recently, on the conference in Odessa Moldova harshly voiced the position on changing of the format, on withdrawal of troops. They consider, that the peacekeeping operation has exhausted oneself and that there are no objective reasons for its' continuation. As a sociologist I can say that public opinion is basic indicator of success, efficiency and necessity of the peacekeeping mission. Pridnestrovian people vote for the presence of the format. It is real, efficient guarantor of peace and security.
-7lUM
