Less than 12 pct of Brazilians approve of interim gov't: poll

Less than 12 percent of Brazilians approve of the interim government led by acting President Michel Temer, according to a poll released Wednesday.

The survey carried out by polling firm MDA and commissioned by the National Confederation of Transport (CNT) shows only 11.3 percent of Brazilians approve of the new government, while 28 percent disapprove.

It is the first such survey since Brazil's Senate voted to suspend Dilma Rousseff as president, pending her impeachment trial on charges of covering up the extent of the public deficit, and designated her vice president interim leader on May 12.

Some 30.2 percent of Brazilians rated Temer's government as doing a so-so job, while another 30.5 percent declined to answer.

Temer's personal approval rating registered 33.8 percent, with 40.4 percent of Brazilians disapproving.

A CNT/MDA poll carried out in February, prior to Rousseff's suspension, showed her government's approval rating was similarly low (11.4 percent), though its disapproval rate was more than double, 62.4 percent.

Amid economic woes and the biggest corruption scandal in the country's history, Rousseff's personal approval rate was at 21.8 percent, with her disapproval rate at 73.9 percent.

While Temer's center-right Brazilian Democratic Movement Party (PMDB) has taken over from Rousseff's left-leaning Workers' Party (PT), 54.8 percent of those queried said there was no difference between the two governments and no perceivable change in the country.

Another 20.1 percent said they felt things have improved and positive changes are taking place, while 14.9 percent said things have taken a turn for the worse.

The MDA poll surveyed 2,002 people in 137 cities across the country, and has a 2.2 percent margin of error. Endit