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Half in Paraguay Disappointed with Duarte
(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - The popularity of Paraguayan president Nicanor Duarte has significantly decreased this year, according to a poll by COIN published in Última Hora. 50 per cent of respondents think Duarte has done a bad or very bad job in leading the South American country, up 11 points since February.
Duarte won the April 2003 election as a candidate for the National Republican Association - Red Party (ANR) with 37.1 per cent of all cast ballots. The ANR has been involved in Paraguay's government since 1947, even during the dictatorship of Alfredo Stroessner. Duarte is not eligible for a new term.
Duarte pledged to end corruption and help improve the lives of Paraguay's population. The country is amongst the most corrupt and poor in the region.
In late July, Duarte replaced finance minister Ernst Bergen with Cesar Barreto, who acted as head of the country's Financial Development Corporation—a government entity that supports small businesses. Bergen resigned for "strictly personal reasons."
During the announcement, Duarte said: "I want to transmit to the local and international community that Paraguay's economic policy will retain its current course, the same philosophy, same line of action, same responsibility regarding the long term objectives of the government. (...) Paraguay is in the midst of several records, export record, imports record, tax revenue, credit, liquidity and international reserves."
The next presidential election is scheduled for April 2008.
Polling Data
How would you rate the performance of Nicanor Duarte as president?
Aug. 2007 | Feb. 2007 | |
Excellent / Good | 11% | 18% |
Average | 39% | 43% |
Bad / Very Bad | 50% | 39% |
Source: COIN / Última Hora
Methodology: Interviews to 1,395 Paraguayan adults, conducted in August 2007. Margin of error is 4 per cent.