Michelle Bachelet Says She Won't Resign Chilean Presidency

Santiago: Chilean President Michelle Bachelet said Wednesday she neither intends to nor should resign, despite rumors suggesting a possible resignation as her popularity has foundered following recent scandals.

"I see no reason to resign and I do not wish to resign," she said on local TV, a year and a half after her return to the presidency.

Bachelet, who was also president from 2006 to 2010, has seen her popularity fall to a historic low of 22 percent, according to a poll released September 11.

The numbers are the lowest for a head of state since Chile's return to democracy in the 1990s, fueling rumors about a possible resignation.

But Bachelet said, "There are some who want me to resign who have invented the rumor."

Rumors about a possible resignation also swirled in April.

Bachelet has faced a scandal involving her son, Sebastian Davalos, who has been accused of benefiting from political influence in a shady land deal.

Revelations that two Chilean conglomerates financed campaigns of both the ruling party and opposition politicians have also dealt a blow to Bachelet's image and that of the political system as a whole.