(Angus Reid Global Scan) - The approval rating for Costa Rican president Abel Pacheco has dropped significantly over the past few months, according to a poll by Demoscopia published in newspaper Al Día. Only 19 per cent of respondents rate Pacheco's performance as "good" or "very good."

Pacheco, candidate for the Social-Christian Unity Party (PUSC), was elected in a run-off in April 2002. The president was criticized for his moral support to the war on Iraq, an important issue for Costa Rica, the only Central American country with no established armed forces. Pacheco's efforts have also included negotiations toward a free trade agreement with the United States, and a crackdown on corruption regarding illegal social housing deals.

The Costa Rican Legislative Assembly recently opted to bring back presidential re-election, after several opinion polls showed the population supported the idea. The ruling appears to benefit Oscar Arias Sánchez, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate who administered the country in the late 1980s.

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