President Ma Ying-jeou’s (馬英九) latest approval rate stood at 19.5 percent, with more than 60 percent of the public voicing displeasure at what they say is his inept performance and holding a negative view of his second term in office, according to the latest opinion poll released by Wealth Magazine yesterday.
The survey, conducted by the Trend Survey and Research Co, found that 68 percent of respondents said they were discontent with Ma’s performance in office over the past few months.
Among a number of policies by the Ma administration, 56 percent of respondents said they were most vexed by the government’s drastic increase in petroleum-based fuel and electricity prices, while 27 percent said the relaxation of a ban on imports of US beef containing residues of the animal feed additive ractopamine upset them most.
With opposition parties planning to stage a series of protests leading up to Ma’s May 20 inauguration, a total of 53 percent of respondents approved of such action, saying the public should take their disaffection to the streets. However, 21 percent doubted the protests would make an impact on the Ma administration. Less than 10 percent of respondents said they did not want to protest against Ma.
The survey collected 1,086 valid samples on May 2 and May 3 and has a margin of error of 3 percentage points.
Translated by Stacy Hsu, staff writer
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