Survey shows trust in the president and DPP rising

Trust indexes for both President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) and the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) rose in the latest public opinion poll conducted this month, the business magazine Global Views Monthly reported yesterday.

In its Taiwan public mood index (TPMI) survey for this month, the magazine found that Chen's trust index had risen to 33.7, up 0.7 points from last month, while the DPP's "ruling side trust index" had advanced to 34.6, up one point from last month.

The magazine attributed the increase in the president's and the DPP's trust indices mainly to the recent steps aimed at winning back the hearts and souls of pro-independence diehards ahead of the DPP presidential primary, including the removal of statues dedicated to the dictator Chiang Kai-shek (將介石) and the changing of the names of several state-owned enterprises to add "Taiwan" to their titles.

The trust index for Premier Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌), however, dropped 1.5 points to 52.7, the survey found.