Poll - Peru's leader own worst enemy

LIMA, Peru -- Mired in his worst political crisis since taking office 30 months ago, President Alejandro Toledo received support from abroad Thursday even as a new poll called him his own worst enemy. Toledo is expected to name a new Cabinet in the coming days after a chain of scandals sent his approval rating tumbling to an all-time low of 7 percent. With no major street protests foreseen and Peru's economy one of Latin America's strongest, some feel the scandals have been created by Peru's political class, fueled by the media.

Peru's leading newspaper El Comercio on Wednesday urged Toledo to cede the daily work of governing to a politically independent Cabinet and take a figurehead role if he wants to reach the end of his 5-year term in 2006.

On Thursday, the Washington-based Organization of American states convened an extraordinary session to express its support for Toledo. Secretary-General Cesar Gaviria said in a statement that he supports "the efforts by President Toledo to engage in consultations to achieve a broad national consensus."

French President Jacques Chirac told Toledo in a telephone conversation late Wednesday that he was following the situation in Peru "with much attention, as are the other leaders of the international community," according to Chirac's office.

"France fully supports all the efforts engaged to strengthen democracy in Peru," it said..

Meanwhile, a survey published Thursday by the Datum polling firm showed 49 percent of Peruvians believe Toledo is responsible for his government's bad image.

The survey also reported that 45 percent of those asked believed that Toledo should step down and that new elections should be held. Another 22 percent said he should name a Cabinet of politically independent professionals. The poll surveyed 405 people in Metropolitan Lima and reported a margin of error of 5 percentage points.

The recent turmoil erupted last month with accusations in January that a former presidential adviser plotted with an army general on how to bribe judges investigating corruption.

This week's expected Cabinet change comes two months after Toledo shuffled it a third time with the ouster of Peru's first-ever female Cabinet chief, Prime Minister Beatriz Merino, amid a another scandal.

Many credited Merino, a politically independent Harvard-trained lawyer, with helping boost Toledo's approval rating to 18 percent in November. Toledo was criticized for stuffing the current Cabinet with party hacks and two ministers quickly fell amid personal scandals.

Toledo took office in July 2001 with an approval rating near 60 percent, but his popularity plummeted amid criticism that he is an indecisive leader incapable of delivering on promises to create jobs.