MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

President Bachelet's approval rating eroding

Chilean Socialist President Michelle Bachelet's approval rating has dropped 8 points since last May and now stands at 57% according to the latest public opinion review from Santiago's pollster CERC.

Even more significant the disapproval rating jumped ten points and reached 33% with 10% not answering or not interested.

CERC claims the drop can be attributed to opposition supporters who are returning to their original Conservative parties.

"If we compare the current opinion poll with those when former President Lagos and former President Frei begun their mandates we can see there's a very positive consensus, even among the opposition. What's happened is that those voters now feel more identified with their original parties that belong to the opposition and therefore contrary to Ms Bachelet", explained Carlos Huneeus from CERC.

However overall inside the ruling Concertaciónm support for the Bachelet administration remains constant with the exception of junior partner Christian Democrats who have lost six points and now stand at 79%.

"The honey moon has been short and issues such as the students' revolt have contributed to the situation", added Huneeus.

As to what are the main achievements of the current administration, the answer with the highest rating was the pensions' increase and system reform, plus making access to public health less cumbersome.

The public opinion poll covered 29 cities with over 40.000 residents in Regions I to X, representing 70% of Chile's population, with a plus/minus 3% margin error.

Nevertheless government spokesperson Ricardo Lagos Weber described the situation as "another poll". "We don't usually comment opinion polls which are a picture of a particular moment, minute. We're concentrated in advancing the administration's program", added Lagos Weber.

CERC also asked about the current leading Chilean politicians and the poll named in first place Christian Democrat Senator Soledad Alvear with a 33% opinion support, up four points from May.

She was followed by Sebastian Piñera the former presidential candidate for the opposition who lost eight points and stands at 26%.

Former president Ricardo Lagos figures with 23% and as strong 9 points surge. In fourth place comes Ricardo Lagos Weber the current Executive Secretary General with 15%, up seven point and finally Conservative Joaquin Lavin, a former presidential hopeful with 12%.

As to the image of General Augusto Pinochet an overwhelming majority of Chileans 82%, believe history will remember him as a dictator. Only 12% keep supporting him as one of the country's best rulers.

The scandal over the Pinochet family millions of dollars stashed in secret bank accounts, most of which unaccountable, was the turning point in public opinion according to CERC.