President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono will enter his last year in office on Monday knowing that only about 40 percent of his people approve of his performance, according to the latest opinion poll.
With the general elections due to be held in less than six months' time and with campaigning set to begin in January 2014, the ruling government is running out of time to alter public perception.
A survey by the Pol-Tracking Institute, released on Sunday, shows that most people think the President has made no significant progress since he was elected for a second term on Oct. 20 four years ago.
According to the study, only 40 percent of the 2,010 respondents from 33 provinces said they were satisfied with the government's performance, while 59.5 percent were far more critical, citing soaring prices of staples, high unemployment, the high cost of education and health care as well as poor infrastructure.
By way of contrast, Yudhoyono's approval rating stood at 54.5 percent in April according to a survey conducted by Kompas daily, and 51 percent in June, according to the National Survey Institute (LSN).
Yudhoyono is barred from seeking a third term by the Constitution, but some of his family members, including his brother-in-law, Pramono Edhie Wibowo, have entered the political arena to help him retain his clout. With his party now languishing after being hit with a slew of damaging graft scandals, his declining popularity deals yet another blow to Yudhoyono.
Pol-Tracking's executive director, Hanta Yuda, said it would be difficult for Yudhoyono to turn the tables with the election only months away, and many of his ministers from his coalition partners too busy preparing for the polls. "Four of the ministers are chairmen of political parties. It is unthinkable that they will not do whatever it takes to have their parties win the election," he said.
He added that the fact that 55 percent, or 19 of the total 34 Cabinet ministers, were members of various political parties would make it even harder for Yudhoyono to end his leadership on a high note.
The President received a poor mark over the economy, with 70.9 percent of respondents saying they were dissatisfied with the United Cabinet's economic policies, citing the rampant increases in the price of staple food items.
The ruling government also fared poorly in law enforcement and security, according to the survey.
Democratic Party lawmaker Didi Irawadi Syamsuddin dismissed the survey results, saying people had no knowledge of the government's successful programs.
"I know that the government isn't perfect. But we must be honest about the programs that have been successfully implemented. People in several regions have told me that they actually benefited from the government's policies," Didi, who also attended the press briefing on Sunday, said in response to Pol-Tracking's survey.
Didi, a lawmaker from the House of Representatives' Commission III on laws and human rights, cited the massive efforts to eradicate corruption as being among the government's successes.
"Previously, it was impossible to charge those who were close to the powers that be. This is not the case anymore. These days, as we can see, several senior officials have been convicted of corruption," he said.
Presidential spokesman Julian Aldrin Pasha was less critical of the survey, saying the President would use the results as input to improve his performance.
"The results of the study will definitely be useful to further enhance efforts to improve the government's performance before the end of its term next year," he told The Jakarta Post. "However, I must say that some of the government's programs are actually working, such as in the economy, although some issues, such as law enforcement, remain a struggle."
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