Political Parties Hold First Voter Surveys
On December 13-14, sixty activists from two political parties in Azerbaijan conducted pilot surveys among some 200 people in Imishli city in southern Azerbaijan to learn about voters’ views on local issues and political parties. The pilot surveys were conducted by both the government party, Yeni Azerbaijan Partiyasi (YAP), and a major opposition party, Azerbaijan Popular Front Party (APPF), as part of a USAID training program.
Conducting surveys was a new experience for these two political party branch offices, which had never before talked to voters between elections. They now plan to expand the survey to nearby villages and talk to more voters on their own.
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Canvassers from the YAP party talking to a voter in Imishli city, Southern
Azerbaijan on December 13
Photo Credit: NDI |
“Now I’m motivated to work hard, after seeing the benefit of voter contact”, said Ali Gasimov, chair of the APFP branch.
Political party development is an integral part of USAID’s efforts to foster democracy and improved governance in Azerbaijan. The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) has criticized every election here since 1993 for falling short of international standards. Many voters have become disillusioned, believing they can’t make a difference. The overall political environment is not conducive to citizen participation. Finding new strategies and solutions for building viable political parties is extraordinarily challenging.
During the voter survey, party activists went door-to-door and talked to voters in the streets. Not only were the canvassers able to find out voters’ opinions on pressing local issues, their parties, and general policy issues, but they also were able to identify their supporters, opponents, and undecided voters. Voters’ reaction was very positive; some of them invited the canvassers to have tea in their houses. Party activists found talking to voters to be an empowering experience.
The concept of the “permanent campaign” is still new to both the government party and the opposition. Although it will take time for political parties to institutionalize these new practices, the first signs of progress are positive.
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