CYPRIOTS are losing patience with institutions on the island, a survey released yesterday has found. The services offered by the public sector, the running of hospitals and the Church have all been rated for the most part as negative, while there has also been a general decrease in positive assessments for other institutions. Likewise, the survey shows declining trust in politics and politicians.
The results were published in a regular survey conducted every two years by the Cyprus College Research Centre. The survey is methodical, so that changes in public opinion can accurately be recorded.
This year’s survey took place between the end of July and the beginning of August, with 603 persons over 18 being interviewed at their homes.
Public Service and Hospitals: last on the list but improving
In the public servants’ survey, the people are called every two years to rate eight institutions. Among these institutions, as in previous years, the lowest on the scale were the public services and public hospitals. This year’s replies prove that the public continues to believe that these institutions are not functioning to their best abilities. However this year there was an increase of approximately five per cent in the number of people satisfied with the running of these two institutions (44 per cent for hospitals and 38 per cent for public service), while ratings revealed a decrease for the remaining institutions.
The increase of satisfaction with public hospitals and the civil service is mainly due to the votes from individuals working in the broad public sector. It is characteristic that the 83 per cent of workers in the broad public sector think the public service is being properly run, however only 29 per cent of persons working in the private sector agree.
Regarding the matter of public hospitals, a huge percentage of residents in the Nicosia district are dissatisfied with its function, probably due to the need for a new hospital in the area.
Decrease in CyBC
Private television channels continue to keep the majority of the public satisfied (69 per cent), while CyBC’s percentage of viewers (50 per cent) has fallen by 10 points. Private television channels are most popular among the young under 24 years of age, while CyBC is enjoyed by older people and women.
The police and the Church
Two institutions particularly vulnerable to criticism, the police and the Church, show a slight fall in relation to their positive assessments in 2001. Fifty-four per cent of respondents believe the police are functioning successfully and 45 per cent feel the same about the Church. Both institutions show a fall of five per cent. Regarding the police, the percentage of satisfied citizens is over 50 per cent in all areas of the island. There is, however, a lack of trust towards the police among those between the ages of 18 and 24, only 30 pre cent of whom believe the police is functioning well. Ratings were positive among people belonging to a higher social economic category (61 per cent), a group of the population usually cautious about giving positive assessments.
The varying judgments regarding the functioning of the Church makes unhappy reading for the bishops. The percentage of dissatisfied people (55 per cent) would be higher were it not for the answers of those over 60, who claim the Church is functioning properly.
Public education on the decline
While six years ago the public education’s standard was deemed high and scored well in the survey, since 1999 there has been a steady decrease in the positive outlook. The percentage of satisfied people reached just 56 this year, compared to 70 per cent in 1997.
Four out of 10 citizens believe that the education system is not up to standard and 56 per cent of people between the ages of 18 and 24 think schools are not well run, compared to 41 per cent of the whole population. As usual, 80 per cent of people working in the broad public sector believe state schools are functioning well.
Citizens and politics
There remains a lack of trust from citizens towards politicians and politics. Forty-five per cent of respondents feel they don’t have the strength to affect actions taken by the state, down from 49 per cent in 2001. The feeling of powerlessness is stronger among those in lower socio-economic groups.
What’s more, 39 per cent of the population believe that deputies who are elected soon lose contact with the people. A positive point for the deputies is that two years ago the number was 45 per cent.
Asked whether politicians put their country above their careers respondents gave a mixed response. A third felt they did, a third disagreed, and a third had no opinion.
Top institutions and organizations
Respondents gave first place for best-functioning organisations to the private TV channels, with 69 per cent of the public satisfied with their operation. Second, came public education, with 56 per cent satisfied. Local self-government was a close third with 54 per cent, level with the police. State broadcaster CyBC only won 50 per cent of the public’s votes, while the Church was sixth with 45 per cent. Hospitals (44 per cent) and Public Services (38 per cent) were rated as the lowest functioning institutions.
