Brazil's Lula still popular despite scandals -poll

BRASILIA, July 6 (Reuters) Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's popularity edged higher in July despite a rash of scandals and urban violence since his second term began in January, a poll released today showed.

Lula's personal approval rating was at 66 per cent compared with 65 per cent in April, according to the survey by polling firm Ibope.

Lula was buoyed mostly by ''improved evaluations of the economy,'' said Marco Antonio Guarita, a director of the National Industry Confederation, which published the poll.

In recent months, the energy minister has resigned over charges he took kickbacks on government contracts, and police were looking into whether the president's brother was involved in influence peddling.

Additionally, the head of the Senate, a close Lula ally, faces charges before a congressional ethics committee that a construction firm paid some of his personal expenses.

Ongoing battles between police and criminal gangs in Rio de Janeiro and other cities also have failed to hurt Lula's standing.

The number of Brazilians saying his second term was better than his first jumped to 37 per cent this month from 30 per cent in April, the poll showed.

Lula bounced back from corruption scandals involving his Workers' Party to win re-election in October on the back of a healthy economy and expanded social welfare programs for millions of poor Brazilians.

The survey interviewed 2,002 people nationwide between June 28 and July 1 and had a margin of error of plus or minus 2 percentage points.

REUTERS RKM BST2358