MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

After twelve months opinion polls are smiling for Bachelet

Pte. Michelle Bachelet

Chilean president Michelle Bachelet administration showed a positive public opinion assessment, for the first time in twelve months, according to the latest CEP polls published over the weekend.

Ms Bachelet performance approval now stands at 43%, up from 40% last June while disapproval fell from 43% to 38%, which means she has inverted the negative stand present since December 2007. If only urban sectors are taken into account (87% of the poll) her approval rate jumps from 39% to 44% and disapproval drops from 43% to 39%. According to CEP analysts Carolina Segovia the upturn could be linked to a better management of the country's economic situation and support for Ms Bachelet's stance on several controversial issues. Currently, according to CEP, 50% of Chileans trust their head of state, while 44% disagree. President Bachelet is also the highest rated political figure in Chile with 55% positive opinions (four percentage points up from last June), followed by the leader of the opposition and presidential hopeful Sebastián Piñera with 48%; former president Eduardo Frei and another possible candidate for 2010, 45%, while former Socialist president Ricardo Lagos has dropped to fifth place with 43%.