(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - Nicaraguan president Daniel Ortega has failed to convey a positive image to the Central American country’s citizens, according to a poll by CID-Gallup published in La Prensa. Only 28 per cent of respondents think the former Sandinista leader has done a good or very good job leading the country, up two points since June.

Conversely, 38 per cent of respondents think the president has performed badly or very badly. In addition, 63 per cent of respondents think Nicaragua is heading in the wrong direction.

In November 2006, Ortega—a member of the Sandinista National Liberation Front (FSLN)—won the presidential election with 37.99 per cent of all cast ballots. Presidential candidates in Nicaragua are not compelled to garner more than 50 per cent of the vote in order to win the election.

Ortega governed from 1985 to 1990, but was a losing candidate in the 1990, 1996 and 2001 ballots. In January, he was sworn in for a five-year term.

On Oct. 25, Humberto Arbulú—the resident representative of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in Nicaragua—referred to Ortega’s economic policy and stated that the president usually says one thing to appeal to his supporters while his administration implements measures that are different to what he preaches. Arbulú declared: ‘‘The president of Nicaragua has the right to say what he wants, but he knows that he can’t do everything he says. (...) The private sector knows when the message is for them and when it’s not. They heard his speech in the plaza, but they also see the agreement with the IMF."

Polling Data

How do you rate Daniel Ortega’s performance as president?

Would you say Nicaragua is heading in the right direction, or the wrong direction?

Source: CID-Gallup / La Prensa
Methodology: Telephone interviews with 1,252 Nicaraguan adults, conducted from Oct. 5 to Oct. 12, 2007. Margin of error is 2.8 per cent.

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