Popularity of Brazilian president rebounds: poll

RIO DE JANEIRO - The popularity of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff rebounded recently after suffering significant loss amid nationwide protest in June, showed a poll released Thursday.

According to the survey, conducted by pollster Ibope on September 12-16 and commissioned by local daily Estado de Sao Paulo, Rousseff enjoys a 22-point lead over her strongest rival by securing 38 percent of support.

Her support rate was 30 percent in a similar survey carried out in July, just after a massive anti-government protest across the country.

Runner-up Marina Silva, who may not even run if her new party is not approved for the 2014 presidential elections before the deadline of next week, netted 16 percent of support, down from 22 percent in July.

Aecio Neves of the largest opposition Brazilian Social Democratic Party won 11 percent, two percentage points lower than in July.

Fifteen percent of those polled said they would null their votes and 16 percent said they were undecided, meaning almost a third of voters have no preferred candidate.

The Ibope poll surveyed 2,002 voters around the country and has a two-point margin of error.