The public has a low opinion of the performance of all the major political parties and President Chen Shui-bian's (
The poll, conducted by the United Daily News during Oct. 7-8, shows that Chen's overall job approval has dropped to 25 percent, a sharp contrast to the 79 percent approval rating he received shortly after he became president in 2000.
Chen's 25 percent approval rating represents a 9 percent slide from a month ago. Respondents who said they are dissatisfied with his performance also reached a new high -- 54 percent.
The approval rating of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) also plunged to 24 percent, with 56 percent of the respondents saying they are dissatisfied with the party's performance.
The poll comes on the heels of allegations of corruption by some DPP officials regarding a profiteering case brought to light because of the Aug. 21 riot by Thai laborers working on the Kaohsiung rapid transit system. The workers were protesting their inhumane treatment by a manpower management company.
The other three main political parties did not fare well in the poll either. Although the the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT), the largest opposition party, received the highest approval of 35 percent, the rate represents a 14 percent drop from July, when the party was preparing to hold its election for chairman.
The People First Party, an ally of the KMT in the "pan-blue alliance," had an approval rating of 20 percent, while the Taiwan Solidarity Union's performance was approved of by only 19 percent.
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