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Ma disapproval rating now above 65 percent: survey

More than 65 percent of Taiwanese are unhappy with the administration of President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九), a survey released by Global Views monthly magazine showed yesterday.

The telephone survey, which polled 1,005 people last week, showed that 67.6 percent of respondents did not approve of his performance since assuming office in May.

A total of 43.4 percent said they did not trust him, while those who approved of his performance dropped to 23.6 percent from 24.9 last month.

The magazine’s publisher said the result serves as a warning to the administration that the public is unhappy with the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) government.

The survey also showed that 61.7 percent of respondents were dissatisfied with the performance of KMT lawmakers.

Even among pan-blue supporters, 47.5 percent voiced their discontent.

The magazine said the KMT had lost the edge it enjoyed earlier this year during the presidential election because it had fallen short of public expectations.

If the KMT intended to remain in power and make a clean sweep in next year’s local elections, the party must shape up fast, the magazine said.

Other polls have also shown Ma’s approval rating falling since he took office.

A poll conducted by the Cabinet’s Research, Development and Evaluation Commission in August showed that Ma’s approval rating slipped to 47 percent from 70 percent in March.

Another poll conducted by the Democratic Progressive Party in August showed Ma’s approval rate was 37 percent.

Commission Minister Jiang Yi-huah (江宜樺) told the legislature’s Judiciary, Organic Laws and Statutes Committee earlier this month that policy flip-flops, improper remarks by government officials, weak and vague defense of administrative policies by government officials, and poor negotiations between government agencies and the legislature as well as the media were the main factors behind public dissatisfaction with the performance of the president and the KMT administration.
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