New opinion poll indicates strong support for Nicaraguan government
NSCAG News |
on: Friday, 7 August 2020
On 6 August, independent polling firm M&R Consultores presented the results of the most recent survey of the Public Opinion Monitoring System SISMO corresponding to the first quarter of 2020. The survey was conducted among Nicaraguans over 16 years of age in urban and rural areas of all departments in the country and its two Caribbean Autonomous Regions.
The data revealed an approval rating of 62.6% for the Sandinista government led by President Daniel Ortega. The poll indicated only 10.2% support for the opposition, whose performance was rated as poor by 56.6% of respondents.
85% of those surveyed said that it is the people, through their vote, who should decide who will govern the country and when and 93.4% rejected the criminal road blocks set up by opposition groups in 2018. 77.4% disagreed with the attempt to remove President Ortega from office in 2018 with 71.8% indicating their disapproval of external interference in the country’s affairs. 67.2% believed that Nicaragua is overcoming the events of 2018 and has returned to the right path thanks to the policies implemented by the government.
66.5% of those polled said that democracy means having real opportunities, access to health, education, housing and social programmes, and 57.3% said that it means having the opportunity to live in peace and freedom.
In terms of duties and rights of citizens, 92.9% believed that the constitutional order should be respected and 78.9% said that coups d'état and the violence they generate are not acceptable. Freedom of expression should be guaranteed as long as the dignity of the people is respected, according to 94.8%.
Commeting on the poll, political analyst Cairo Amador said it is clear that the current government's management is perceived positively, "and that somehow feeds the expectations of families to improve their situation."
Journalist Adolfo Pastrán indicated that political sympathy for the Sandinista Front has remained constant, "because it is evidently the party that works and we see the Sandinista Front in all the communities, health days, in the fight against covid-19, inaugurating works in the town halls, it is a party that is always active and the population sees it, and that generates sympathy and translates into votes." He added that the survey data reflects that there is permanent hope for a better future following damage caused by the attempted coup in 2018. ,
