Prague, May 25 (CTK) – Nine in ten Czechs believe that a politician should step down if accused or found guilty of a crime, while less than one fourth believe that adultery is a reason for a politician to resign, according to a CVVM public opinion poll results released today.
People view a proved crime connected with a politician’s performance in the political post as the most serious reason for him or her to resign. As many as 94 percent of the respondents said a politician must step down in such case.
According to 89 percent, even a mere accusation of a crime connected to the political post should be a reason for a politician to resign.
The Czechs assess similarly the situation where the crime of politicians is not linked to their performance in the posts. Nine in ten people believe that politicians should step down if convicted, and 84 percent said a mere accusation is a reason for resignation.
Eighty-three percent of the respondents say politicians should resign if it turns out that they used an academic title unrightfully.
Three quarters of people consider resignation necessary if suspected links between a politician and a crime emerge.
Deliberate lying in public is viewed as a reason for resignation by 73 percent of people.
Sixty-four percent believe that a politician should resign if convicted of slander or libel in a court dispute.
About six in ten respondents spoke about the guilt for a serious road accident, a breach of the peace under the influence of alcohol, and politicians’ suspected involvement in opaque financial or property transactions as reasons for them to step down.
Fifty-five percent of Czechs believe politicians should leave over inappropriate conduct in society, the poll showed.
People are relatively tolerant of politicians’ misdemeanours that are not linked to their performance in the post. Thirty-seven percent of those polled said they consider this a reason for a politician’s departure.
About one quarter of the respondents wish the departure of politicians whose relative committed a crime, the poll showed.
The Czechs are most tolerant of politicians’ adultery, which 22 percent of them view it as a reason for resignation.
Compared with the previous similar poll from March 2015, the number of those demanding politicians’ resignation for reasons linked with crimes has declined, mainly in the categories of “unclear property and financial transactions” and “a suspected link between a politician and a crime,” the CVVM said.
It conducted the poll on 1115 respondents on April 7-19.