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Tsai holds small lead over Ma in
presidential poll
By Vincent Y. Chao / Staff Reporter
Democratic Progressive Party
Chairperson Tsai Ing-wen, right, tries her hand at making chocolates on the
premises of the chocolate producer Feeling 18C during a visit to Puli in Nantou
County yesterday.
Photo: CNA
A new opinion poll suggests that
Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) candidate Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) is maintaining a
small but steady lead over President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) in the race for the
nation’s top post.
A survey in yesterday’s -Chinese-language Liberty Times (the Taipei Times’
sister newspaper) suggested that record low approval ratings for Ma and shifting
attitudes among pan-blue voters could be contributing to Tsai’s slight gain.
Thirty-five percent of those questioned in the poll said they supported Tsai for
president, with 31 percent backing Ma, eight months before the presidential
election.
The 4 percentage point lead, slightly above the margin of error, is consistent
with other recent media polls that suggest Tsai is slightly ahead in popular
support.
A Global Views magazine “public mood” index released on Wednesday showed Tsai
leading Ma 49.6 percent to 46 percent in a public trust index. Another Global
Views poll earlier this month gave Ma a 0.3 percent lead in popular support.
Continued dissatisfaction with the Ma administration, which marked its third
anniversary last Friday, could be part of the reason why Tsai is making slight
gains. Only 36.04 percent approved of the administration’s performance,
according to the Liberty Times
“It shows that negative public opinion outnumbers positive when it comes to
assessing Ma’s entire administrative performance,” the paper said.
Self-described undecided voters are also leaning toward the DPP candidate, while
only 67 percent of voters who said they voted for the Chinese Nationalist Party
(KMT) in the local elections last year still support Ma, the poll suggested.
However, 83 percent of those who voted for the DPP last year said they continue
to back Tsai.
According to the poll, Tsai is also leading among younger voters — a demographic
where both candidates have focused recent efforts. Among the 20-to-29 age group,
Tsai leads Ma 36 percent to 24 percent.
“The [results] show that the people have felt nothing but disappointment and
dissatisfaction with the Ma administration and its results over the past three
years,” Tsai said while stumping in Nantou County yesterday.
However, with both presidential campaigns yet to officially start, she cautioned
that the results are too early to provide more than a reference point. There was
“still plenty of time left” before polling day, she said.
KMT spokesman Su Jun-pin (蘇俊賓), at a separate setting yesterday, defended the
efforts of the Ma administration to improve the economy and lower the
unemployment rate among other achievements, and said the government would
continue its work regardless of poll results.
“We take the results of every poll as a reference and the government will
continue to work harder to improve its performance,” he said.
The Liberty Times poll was conducted by telephone on May 23 and 24. It sampled
1,021 respondents and has a margin of error of 3.07 percent.
ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY MO YAN-CHIH
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