Govt?s Rating Slips: Herald support Ghanaweb's poll result

The latest Network Herald internet poll on the performance of the executive seem to suggest that barely one and a half years after ?the great victory?, the expectation of the nation on the New Patriotic Party government has dropped to its lowest since they took over from the NDC. But President Kufuor still has the approval of the majority and many Ghanaians believe he is doing a good job.

The over 3264 visitors to newsinghana.com answered two questions between the 13th and the 19th of this month: which party the respondent voted for in the 2000 elections and which party they would vote for if the election were held now.

According to the poll, while 1823 persons representing 55 percent said they voted for the ruling party, 1534 representing 46 percent said they would vote for the party if elections were held now. On the converse however 1725 persons representing 52 percent said they would vote the NDC to power if elections were held now even though only 1361 persons representing 41 percent say they voted for them in the last elections .

With over two years to the next poll, a ghanaweb.com between May 11 and 19 also suggested that the president, who has been beset by a raft of problems (Yaa Naa?s Murder with attendant resignation of ministers, MPs car Loans, SSNIT, cost of living and all, has in the last two months dropped to its lowest level since he took office ? although he still has the approval of a majority.

The poll of over 1500 visitors saw some 57percent say they approved of the way Kufuor is handling his job with 36 percent disapproving. The president?s job-approval rating is down 10 points from his 67percent rating in mid-January this year. His highest point was 72percent in late April 2001 during the first one hundred days of his administration.

Not even the recently announced major increase in the minimum wage and the initiation of the reconciliation process gave him any major boost. Independent analysis suggest that apprehensions on the imminent increases in utility rates, the eventual release of the car ?loans? to MPs, and the seeming inability of the executive to do anything new to tackle corruption effectively seem to be casting an amount of doubt.