Jakarta – President Megawati Soekarnoputri has performed better than all other national political leaders currently in office, even as her government isdeemed to be failing in delivering the goods, according to a recently published survey.

More than 53 percent of 3,580 people polled said they were satisfied with Megawati's performance, compared with 51 percent for Vice President Hamzah Haz, 22 percent for corruption scandal suspect House Speaker Akbar Tandjung and 43 percent for People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) Speaker Amien Rais.

With the presidential election two years away, the finding could be an indication of their standing today, as the four leaders are the main contenders for the 2004 election: All chair their respective politicalparties, the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan), the United Development Party (PPP), the Golkar Party and the National Mandate Party (PAN).

With none of the contenders holding a commanding lead, the 2004 election promises to be a very close contest.

The survey, carried out in April by Taylor Nelson Sofres Indonesia in cooperation with the International Foundation for Election System (IFES) Indonesia, was commissioned by the House and the MPR to test public opinion about the current political situation.

That she outperformed all the other political leaders seemed to be about the only good news for Megawati.

The respondents virtually gave the thumbs-down when it came to the performance of her government. The majority (62 percent) said the government had not brought about any improvement, and only 34 percent feltthere had been some progress. The 3,580 respondents were selected randomly from urban (36 percent) and rural (64 percent) areas in all 30 provinces.