Haaba

BUCHAREST, Dec 6, 2007 (AFP) - An equal proportion of Romanians believe former dictator Nicolae Ceausescu had a positive and a negative influence on his country, a survey published Thursday by the Soros Foundation shows.

The study showed that some 23 percent of Romanians saw Ceausescu as the leader 'who had done the most good for his country,' while 24 percent said he had done 'the most damage.'

Of the 2,000 people interviewed for the survey, some 48 percent also said 'life was better' before the fall of communism in 1989, while 33 percent argued the opposite and 11 percent saw no change in their lives.

The figure has dropped since 1998, when 61 percent of Romanians claimed to be worse off than during the communist regime.

The survey's authors noted however that Ceausescu continued to enjoy a surprisingly good image. In 1998, 22 percent of those polled said they had a favourable opinion of the former communist dictator, while a similar proportion saw him as a negative figure.

Ceausescu led the country for over 20 years before being executed by firing squad along with his wife after a summary trial on December 25, 1989.