KONTAN.CO.ID - JAKARTA. Indonesian President Joko Widodo's approval rating has fallen to the lowest level in five years on the back of a devastating second wave of coronavirus infections, a survey released on Wednesday showed. Conducted by pollster Indikator Politik Indonesia, the survey showed that 59% of respondents were satisfied with the president, the lowest ranking since March 2016. The survey, which involved 1,220 respondents, was conducted between July 30 to Aug. 4, while the country was in the throes of a virulent virus wave that led to overflowing hospitals and oxygen shortages on the densely populated island of Java.
Indonesia has recorded more than 4 million cases of the coronavirus, and over 129,000 deaths, among the highest tallies in Asia. Baca Juga: Germany to help Afghans seeking to leave beyond Aug. 31 deadline "While the lower approval rating for Widodo is mainly caused by the pandemic and the government's largely inconsistent and confusing responses to the health crisis, it is unlikely the only factor," said Todd Elliot, a senior analyst at Concord Consulting. "Trust in a government in Indonesia normally decreases if the economy is perceived as underperforming and the latest round of coronavirus curbs have hit businesses particularly hard." The president said last week in his annual state of the nation speech that there was a need to strike a balance between health and economic interests during the pandemic. Overall, 54.3% of respondents surveyed said they trusted the president to properly manage the health crisis, while perceptions of the country’s economic situation were the worst since 2004. The survey indicated widespread dissatisfaction with social restrictions intended to stem the spread of the virus that have been in place since early July.