Panama’s President Ricardo Martinelli is bloodied but apparently unbowed  after poll results show the worst slump in a presidential rating in 20 years.

Hot on the heels of a  survey conducted for La Prensa after the firing of Foreign Minister  Juan Carlos Varela, La Estella published the results of a poll conducted by Dichter & Neira wjich revealed that the president's approval ratings fell this month by 20.5 percentage points in one month.

Martinelli’s reaction was delivered in his usual pugnacious style.
‘I fell, I accept, I admit ... I think I'm like Rocky, because I have a barrage of lead, fist and kick," he said.

Martinelli said the numbers clearly show that he should continue working for the people. "Sometimes you are up and sometimes down, the important thing is to recover,"
 

The unfavorable numbers are not just for the president but also for the  proposal to establish a runoff  election increased rejection. But there is increased opposition frotm the public

At least 8 out of ten Panamanians do not support the second round promoted by Martinelli and his Democratic Change party in the Assembly.

Vice President Juan Carlos Varela, recently sent to his new role as an opponent of the government of 'change', also reacted to the latest poll numbers. 'The most important results of recent surveys indicate that people are not willing to have anyone play with their democracy, "Varela posted on his Twitter account.

However, despite the negativity that has generated the public the second round, Martinelli insisted yesterday that 'approval should be subject to constitutional reform. "

The president said the initiative "has not sold well, and therefore  he does not continue to stress the second round.
The First Lady of the Republic, Marta Martinelli, defended the second round and listed it as 'positive' because the president will be chosen by an absolute majority allowing independents to govern the country,  and preventing minorities coming to power with less than 50 percent of the vote.