MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Controversy over public image support for Cristina Kirchner

How many Argentines really like me???

A controversy over the support for Argentine president Cristina Kirchner has been triggered by the publication in the Buenos Aires press of a public opinion poll which shows her rating falling six points to 47%.

The Poliarquía poll which is considered "serious" in Argentine political circles was done between March 3 and 11, interviewing 800 people in five of the country's main metropolitan areas: Buenos Aires City, metropolitan area, Cordoba, Mendoza, Rosario and Tucuman. The poll's results showed that 11% have a "very positive" image of Cristina Kirchner; 37% "good", but 27% expressed a "moderate" feeling and 19%, "bad of very bad" image of the president. This means a six points fall compared to a previous Poliarquía poll of mid February. However the release of the results had an immediate reply from cabinet chief Alberto Fernandez who has become the "shield bearer" of Cristina. He said that the "public image" of Cristina continues to grow, and two recent opinion polls showed the president has a public opinion support of 68% and 69%. "I've read the polls from Ceop and Analogias which indicate a sustained growth in support for Cristina. I haven't seen any poll showing a drop in the president's image", said Fernandez who added "besides this is what I perceive". Fernandez said that the only data he had seen to the contrary "is the usual and outrageous, --because it's technically unsustainable--, confidence index from the Di Tella University, which has a marvelous technical insolvency". "And I say this because according to this so called confidence index one month we dropped 12 points and another we jumped 17 points, a bit too exaggerated". But it's also known that the Kirchner administrations (current and previous) are highly sensitive to public opinion polls, and have a habit of contracting all pollsters when possible.