Putin approval rating at post-election low

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MOSCOW, Aug. 17 (UPI) -- Russian Vladimir Putin's approval ratings fell to a post-election low, results released by independent pollster Levada Center Friday indicated.

Forty-eight percent of Russians said they approve of Putin's performance as president, down 12 percentage points since May, RIA Novosti reported.

Twenty-five percent of Russians said they were unhappy with his work, up from 21 percent in May, results indicated.

Results indicate a falloff in the public's approval of Putin's performance as president since his first two terms, from 2000 to 2008, when it averaged 65 percent approval and 15 percent disapproval, the center said.

His popularity peaked at the end of 2008 when it reached 80 percent favorable and 10 percent unfavorable, the center said. It fell to 55 percent in the winter of 2005, center data indicated.

Levada Center said it found Russians have less faith in Putin now than in the winter of 2011-12. Now, 57 percent said they trust the president, down from 63 percent in January. Thirty percent said they do not trust the president.

Results are based on interviews with 1,600 residents conducted Aug. 10-13. The margin of error is 3.4 percentage points.