(CPOD) Jul. 16, 2003 – Néstor Kirchner is commanding high approval ratings in Argentina, according to a poll by Equis. 90.3 per cent of respondents have a positive opinion of the president.

Kirchner took office last May, after former president Carlos Menem trailed in the polls and decided to withdraw from a run-off election.

Argentines overwhelmingly stand behind Kirchner’s proposals to deal with tax evasion and fraud. Support is slightly lower for the extradition of military officers, but a proposal to deploy troops for peacekeeping purposes is only endorsed by 22.9 per cent of respondents.

Polling Data

Do you have a positive or negative opinion of president Néstor Kirchner?

Positive	90.3%
Negative	1.8%

Do you support the following proposals tabled by Kirchner?

	Yes
New bill to incarcerate tax evaders	91.2%
Jail executives guilty of fraud	83.6%
Extraditing military officers for human rights violations	64.0%
Sending troops to help in peacekeeping operations	22.9%

Source: Equis
Methodology: Face-to-face interviews to 1,064 adult residents of Buenos Aires, conducted in early July 2003. Margin of error is 3 per cent.