Chilean president's approval rating continues to slide

Chilean President Michelle Bachelet's approval rating dipped for the third month in a row to 47 percent in September, local newspapers reported Thursday.

Citing a survey by private consulting firm Adimark, reports said Bachelet's approval slipped two percentage points from the previous month and 11 points from June.

At the same time, her disapproval rating rose four points to reach 45 percent, nearly the same proportion of the population that support how she handles the government.

Bachelet, who took office in March, continues to get high marks of over 58 percent for her "personal attributes," reported the El Mercurio daily on its website, "but they are also slipping in recent months."

The two personal attributes that eroded the most were "she is respected by Chileans" and "she has the capacity to resolve the country's problems," both of which fell five points, the daily said.

The government's approval rating in general remained steady at 42 percent, though its disapproval rating climbed three points to 51 percent, according to Adimark.

The fall in approval was mainly due to uncertainty surrounding the effects of Bachelet's tax and education reforms, said the consulting firm. Enditem