Russians still believe in Medvedev-Putin tandem - poll

Most Russians polled in a recent survey approve the activities of the president and prime minister, a pollster said on Thursday.
Some 72% of the respondents approve of Dmitry Medvedev and 78% - Vladimir Putin, according to the poll conducted by the Yuri Levada Analytical Center.
Some 23% of the respondents run down the work of the president and 19% of the prime minister, while 5% and 3% of respondents did not give an answer.
Since May 2008, the number of people approving Medvedev-Putin tandem has been largely unchanged, the pollster said. In May 2008, Medvedev's work was approved by 70% of respondents and disapproved by 20%, with 80% and 15% the corresponding figures for Putin.
However, this year Russian people showed less trust in direction. In May 2008, 61% of respondents approved the activities of the regulation. By July 2009, their number reduced to 55%. Some 41% of respondents criticize work of direction, and 4% did not answer the question.
Moreover, today only 48% of respondents believe that Russia is moving in the right direction and 35% of respondents disagree with current policy. In May 2008, the relevant figures were 59% and 27%.
Putin holds control in the rating of Russian politicians with 53%. He is followed by Medvedev (41%), Emergency Situations Minister Sergei Shoigu (16%), leader of the Liberal Democratic Party Vladimir Zhirinovsky (11%) and Communist Party leader Gennady Zyuganov (9%).
About 15% of respondents said they did not like any coetaneous Russian official.
The Yuri Levada Analytical Center conducted the poll of 1,600 randomly selected Russians in 128 towns of 46 regions on July 17-20, 2009 with a statistical margin of error within 3.4%.