Government's negative rating rises to 59% in latest poll

The performance of the Jamaican Government has received a very poor rating in the latest Don Anderso/ RJR Communications Group poll.

According to the results, released on Tuesday, 59 per cent of  those polled, gave the Administration, led by Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller, a negative assessment.

The negatives of the Opposition are also high, with 39 percent of those polled saying that the Andrew Holness led Jamaica Labour Party was doing a poor job as well. Nevertheless, the Government is being viewed in a far more unfavourable light, with 20 per cent more taking a dim view of its performance than those regarding the Opposition negatively.

The poll was conducted from November 29 to December 8.

Eleven per cent of  the one thousand-plus persons interviewed, gave the Government a positive rating, versus 22 per cent who held the view that the Opposition was performing up to par.

Thirty per cent of  the respondents gave the Government an average mark, while 30 per cent stamped a similar grade next to the Opposition.

 A breakdown of  the poll results shows 29 per cent of  the respondents rated the Government's performance as average compared to 38 per cent for the Opposition.

It is the view of 29 per cent that the Government is doing a poor job versus 25 per cent for the Opposition.

A rating of  "very poor" for the Administration came from 30 per cent of  the respondents, and 14 per cent from the Opposition.

When combined, eleven per cent of  those surveyed, held the view that Government was doing "well or very well," while 22 per cent held that view for the Opposition.

"What is the dominant factor in all of this is that more persons are viewing the two political parties in a negative light than they are viewing them in a positive light, but that the Opposition is better perceived when you compare the two parties, one against the other," Anderson explained.