Politics
Haiti: President Martelly has highest approval ratings in Western Hemisphere
The government’s social programs””especially the free access to schools program that provides free access for as many as 1.2 million children and a cash transfer program known as Ede Pep””are very well known and liked by most Haitians.
These numbers stand in direct contradiction of published articles which state that street protests are rooted in a general discontent with the current government. These numbers show quite a different scenario. The poll reflects Haitian discontent with the lack of employment opportunities, placing this as the top issue of concern.
The poll sought to identify the perception of recent tensions between the executive and legislative branches of government. While 54.6 percent of the population thinks the President is willing to work with parliament, only 36.2 percent believes that parliament is interested in working with the President. Along the same lines, on a scale of 1 to 7 the poll shows that Haitians trust the President (5.14) more than Parliament (3.24).
The poll also asked about the long delayed senate and municipal elections. A vast majority (76.9 percent) is not satisfied with the long electoral delay. At the same time Haitians place equal blame on the government and the opposition for the long delay.
Lastly, the poll identified an increase in concern over the safety situation with 15 percent stating that this was a problem in comparison to only 7 percent in May. Concern was also voiced over the numerous protests seen around mainly the capital, Port-au-Prince during the past few weeks.
Source: Newlink Research
