If the elections for the President of Ukraine were held next Sunday, Viktor Yushchenko could win in the first round with 33% of the vote. These are the results of a sociological survey of Lutsk residents conducted on February 24-29, made public by the "Democratic Initiatives" Foundation together with the "Socis" Center. Next in terms of support are Yulia Tymoshenko (11%), Leonid Kuchma (4%), Oleksandr Moroz and Viktor Yanukovych (3% each), as well as Petro Symonenko (2%). 30% have not decided on their choice. 7% do not plan to participate in the elections. Only 6% of Lutsk residents said they would vote for Leonid Kuchma if he were nominated as a candidate for the post of President of Ukraine, 82% are against it. In the event of a second round of presidential elections between V. Yushchenko and V. Yanukovych, 42% of respondents are ready to vote for Viktor Yushchenko, 5% for Viktor Yanukovych, 14% against both, and 30% have not determined their position. Lutsk residents attach considerable importance to the upcoming elections of the President of Ukraine: 71% of respondents regard them as very important or generally important; 19% consider the upcoming elections generally unimportant or completely unimportant. The majority of respondents (36%) believe that violations during the next presidential elections will be insignificant and will not affect the overall result. At the same time, 32% of Lutsk residents are confident that everything will definitely be rigged, and 18% of respondents believe that the election results could be distorted. And a very tiny portion of respondents believe that the elections will be honest and without rigging (5%). The larger part of respondents (42%) are certain that their personal participation in the elections (or refusal to vote) will in no way affect the future of Ukraine, 30% believe that it will affect to some extent, and only 19% — that it will undoubtedly affect. Almost half of Lutsk residents (47%) believe that the next presidential elections will change nothing, and only every fourth (26%) — that the elections will help improve the situation in Ukraine; 10% believe that the elections will only worsen the situation. Two-thirds of Lutsk residents (62%) believe that the upcoming presidential elections require control by public organizations over the conduct of elections and the counting of results. The survey of Lutsk residents was conducted on February 24-29, 2004 by the "Democratic Initiatives" Foundation and the "Socis" Center on behalf of the Institute for Euro-Atlantic Cooperation. A total of 400 Lutsk residents were surveyed, who by their socio-demographic characteristics (sex, age, level of education) represent the adult population of the city of Lutsk. The survey error does not exceed 4%.