Salvadorans give their president a failing grade

The Public Opinion Institute at the University of Central America (IUDOP) released a public opinion poll Tuesday concerning Salvadorans' views of their government and the political parties.  

 The results for president Salvador Sánchez Cerén of the FMLN were not good.    His job approval rating on a scale of 1-10 has fallen to 4.79, the lowest of the past five presidents at the same point in their terms in office.  The results show a Salvadoran public who are very unhappy with the current administration:

• 61% say Sánchez Cerén is governing poorly.
  
• 68% have seen no positive changes since he assumed office.
  
• 59% cannot name any achievements during his administration.
  
• 57% believe the country is worse off than when Sánchez Cerén started as president.
  
• 70% believe the economy has worsened.
  
• 62% believe crime has increased.
  
• 66% believe that the exceptional measures have done little or nothing to reduce gang-related crime.
  
• 68% believe the president is manipulated by others.
  
• 81% believe the work of the government has benefited them little or not at all.

As a consequence, 63.4% of those polled believe that the left-wing FMLN should not continue in power governing the country.  But the leading party of the right, ARENA, should not jump for joy at these results:  an even greater percentage, 68.1%, indicated that ARENA should not return to power.   Similarly, 75% believe that FMLN governments are corrupt, but 87% believe that ARENA governments have been corrupt.