In this summer of drought and heat of year 2000, Kosovan people are growing ever more susceptible to the temperature and gales of the political climate. Concluded process of civil registration along with the local elections, set to be held in October, are by far the most important events of the local social and political life. Announcement of the date engages all political parties through public activities and use of democratic mechanisms to contribute and participate to the best and benefit of all inhabitants in the election process. Even though the pre-electoral campaign has not gathered yet its full momentum and any forecasts of the elections' outcome are way far from being certain, public opinion poll findings of Index Kosova may help to outline the actual attitudes of Kosovan Albanian electorate.

In its regular monthly public opinion polls, conducted with 1,000 Albanian respondents, aged 18 years over, INDEX KOSOVA, joint venture with BBSS Gallup International, posed a question in three subsequent months, June, July and August 2000: Which party, do you think, would have won in your municipality, if the local elections were held in several months from now? In all three waves of the survey results verge towards the same ratings. LDK is in first place (44.6% in June, 46.0% in July and again 44.6% in August), followed by PDK (13.5% in June, 11.9% in July and 15.8% in August), followed by AAK (4.1% in June, 4.6% in July and 2.8% in August), and then LKÇK (1.4% in June, 1.3% in July and 0.5% in August). Publics' perception of the potential of other political parties in their municipalities hasn't recorded more substantial ratings, but in all three waves approximately one third of respondents still haven't concluded who may have the ultimate preponderance at the end of the day (answers "don't know" - 33.1% in June, 33.6% in July and 32.0% in August). Although the number of those who refuse to respond to this question is fairly low, there seems to be a significant increase as the time for voting is getting closer (0.5% in June, 1.3% in July and 2.5% in August).

Taking into account that current political life in Kosova develops in essentially new environment, political and civic culture is an imperative for the future Kosovan reality. In the August poll two more questions were posed and their responses give some background and understanding of the prevailing public mentality, features of which can be present outside the borders of family sphere and serve as indicators for the present state of economy, politics, and society in general.

One question invited respondents to express their attitudes towards the following statements, measuring the level of general approval in one targeted aspect:

a) In general, men are more knowledgeable about politics than women. More than half of respondents (51.6%) strongly agree with this attitude and 12.1% somewhat agree. One third of respondents disagree with this attitude (5.9% disagree somewhat and 24.6% strongly disagree)

b) An education is more important for a boy than for a girl. (16.4% strongly agree, 5.4% somewhat agree and 6.3% disagree somewhat, while 68.1% strongly disagree).

c) Being a housewife is as fulfilling as working for pay. (27.9% strongly agree, 7.9% somewhat agree and 7.5% disagree somewhat, while 46.7% strongly disagree).

d) On the whole, men make better political leaders than women do. (45.9% strongly agree, 14.7% somewhat agree, 6.1% disagree somewhat and 27.1% strongly disagree).

e) Both the husband and wife should contribute to household income. A great majority of respondents agree with this attitude. (88.0% strongly agree, 4.2% somewhat agree, 0.9% disagree somewhat, and 2.8% strongly disagree).

f) A working mother can have as good a relationship with her children as a mother who does not work. (64.0% strongly agree with this attitude, 10.6% somewhat agree, 4.8% disagree somewhat, and 14.3% strongly disagree).

g) When jobs are scarce men should have more rights to a job than women. (46.1% strongly agree, 11.0% somewhat agree, 5.6% disagree somewhat, while 32.3% strongly disagree).

The other question posed stated: If a woman wants to have a child as a single parent, but doesn't want a stable relationship with a man, do you approve or disapprove?
12.7% agree and 71.5% disagree, while 5.8% voluntarily answer Depends, and others don't know or refuse to answer.