(Angus Reid Global Monitor) – Panamanian president Ricardo Martinelli has lost a significant amount of public support, according to a poll by Dichter & Neira released by TVN. 56 per cent of respondents say Martinelli has done a good job as head of state, down 14.3 points since June.
(Angus Reid Global Monitor) – Panamanian president Ricardo Martinelli has lost a significant amount of public support, according to a poll by Dichter & Neira released by TVN. 56 per cent of respondents say Martinelli has done a good job as head of state, down 14.3 points since June.
On May 2009, Panamanian voters elected a new president. Martinelli, a supermarket tycoon, won the ballot with 60.1 per cent of the vote as the candidate for the Democratic Change (CD) party, defeating Balbina Herrera of the Revolutionary Democratic Party (PRD) and former president Guillermo Endara of the Moral Vanguard of the Homeland (VMP). In July, Martinelli was sworn in, replacing the PRD’s Martín Torrijos.
On Jun. 12, lawmakers approved a reform package that includes changes to the labour code. New laws would allow companies to hire employees to replace workers who have gone on strike, and to suspend the contracts of striking workers.
Earlier this month, protests against the new labour laws staged by workers at a banana plantation in Bocas del Toro turned violent. While the government acknowledged that two men died from gunshot wounds in clashes with police, union leaders say as many as seven were shot by authorities.
On Jul. 15, Martinelli blamed Panamanian media outlets for promoting "a campaign of disinformation" and inciting the workers to protest violently. The president added that the campaign is also backed by "influential people who are upset with the government because they now pay taxes."
Polling Data
How would you rate the performance of Ricardo Martinelli as president?
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Jul. 2010
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Jun. 2010
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May 2010
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Good / Very Good
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56.0%
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70.3%
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71.3%
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Bad / Very Bad
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39.4%
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25.2%
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21.5%
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Source: Dichter & Neira / TVN
Methodology: Face-to-face interviews with 1,200 Panamanian adults, conducted from Jul. 9 to Jul. 11, 2010. Margin of error is 2.9 per cent.
