MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

“Exceptional” approval rating for Uruguay's president

Uruguayan Pte. Tabare Vazquez

Uruguayan president Tabare Vazquez approval rate stands at 56%, which is considered “exceptional” for Uruguayan politics, particularly since the leader of the ruling coalition is 18 months away from the end of his five year mandate.

According to public opinion pollster Cifra the disapproval rate is 22% while another 22% did not reply. The Broad Front coalition won Uruguay's 2004 October general election with almost 51% of the vote and when President Vazquez took office in March his support was 69%, having falling to its lowest, 47% in September 2007. But since then his approval rating has been on the increase. Cifra director Luis Eduardo Gonzalez admitted "he has never seen anything like it in Uruguay because we are very critical of our leaders". However President Vázquez ruling coalition standing is far distant, 42%, "but one thing is the President, and another the political force that supports him", according to pollster Gonzalez. He added that the fact that Mr. Vazquez has refused to accept a constitutional amendment that would open the way for his re-election, as many supporters would like to see "has given him more presidential stature as leader of all Uruguayans, and not of a party or rainbow of political groups". Besides people have the feeling that Uruguay has improved economically and socially, which is a big boost for any government, underlined Gonzalez. Uruguay has benefited since late 2004 from windfall earnings generated by soaring world prices for commodities which make up most of the country's exports, beef, dairy produce, oil seeds, grains, hides.