Brasília, May 14, 2004 (Agência Brasil) - A poll indicates that the percentage of people who consider Lula's Administration "excellent" or "good" rose from 27% to 34%, while negative evaluations fell from 24% to 18%. According to the Ibope (Brazilian Public Opinion and Statistics Institute), confidence in the President grew from 55% to 62%. The survey to assess the government's image was conducted by telephone, during the period May 7-10, and shows a rebound in President Lula's popularity, compared with the results of the Institute's previous poll on April 27.

These results were announced to reporters by the government's leader in the Senate, Aloizio Mercadante (PT-SP). Neither the targeted population nor the scope of the survey was disclosed.

The survey also reveals that the approval rating for the way Lula is governing the country rose from 48% to 57%. In their telephone interviews, the Ibope also solicited a comparison between the performance of Lula's Administration and that of his predecessor, Fernando Henrique Cardoso. The index of those who think the current Administration is "better" or "much better" increased from 40%, in the previous survey, to 52%. The percentage of those who assess the current Administration as "worse" or "much worse" declined from 26% to 20%.

The Ibope also asked the respondents their opinion about the functioning of bingo parlors in the country. The poll shows the population to be divided: 47% thinks the government should fight to keep the parlors closed, and 47% thinks the government should allow the parlors to resume their activities.

In his comments on the poll results, Senator Mercadante asserted that the figures, both the Ibope's and the ones in the Sensus Institute/CNT poll, point to an evolution in the popularity of the President and the Administration. Mercadante believes that, with the positive economic numbers that are beginning to appear and the approval of important projects that are under scrutiny in the Legislature, the President's rebound in popularity can be solidified.

For his part, the leader of the PFL in the Senate, José Agripino Maia (RN), judges that the results of the Sensus Institute/CNT poll, also released yesterday (13), don't reflect the impact of the raise in the minimum wage from R$ 240 to R$ 260, even though the increase was announced prior to the poll. "The effect of the minimum wage will only occur when workers receive their first payment with the raise. The announcement in itself has no effect whatsoever," Agripino remarked.

Translator: David Silberstein