(CPOD) May 18, 2003 - Vicente Fox has lost 20 points in the first two and half years of his term, according to a poll by Gema y Arcos. 60 per cent of respondents approve of the Mexican president's performance.

Fox became president in December 2000 with an approval rating of 80 per cent. Respondents consider Fox's opposition to the war in Iraq as the biggest accomplishment of his administration. The president's numbers in issues such as employment and the economy are significantly lower.

Mexico will hold congressional elections on Jun. 6. No party has held a majority in the Mexican Chamber of Deputies since 1997, and current government officials have campaigned on the idea that more National Action Party (PAN) congressmen are required to pass several of Fox's proposals. Recent polls show a tight two-party race between the ruling PAN and the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI), which governed Mexico for 71 years.

Polling Data

Do you approve or disapprove of Vicente Fox's performance as president?

Source: Gema y Arcos
Methodology: Face-to-face interviews to 1,200 Mexican citizens, conducted in April 2003. Margin of error is 2.8 per cent.