REYKJAVIK, Iceland (AFP)--One of two left-wing parties set to form an interim government in crisis-hit Iceland Sunday has seen its approval rating more than double since the 2007 elections, a poll showed.

The Left Green party, which is scheduled Sunday afternoon to create a minority government with the Social Democrats to replace Prime Minister Geir Haarde's disgraced right-left coalition, received support from 30 percent of Icelanders questioned by the Capacent Gallup polling institute.

Broadcast on national radio late Saturday, the survey of 3,700 people showed support for the Left Greens was significantly higher than the 13.5 percent of votes it garnered in 2007 general elections, and up a percentage point from a poll last month.

Haarde's Independence Party - which along with the Social Democrats made up the outgoing government that was forced to resign on January 26 over Iceland's deep economic crisis - meanwhile saw its approval rating shrink to just 24 percent, the poll showed.

That is a point lower than in the previous poll and only about a third of the 71.9% approval rating it garnered in a survey a year ago.

In the last elections, Haarde's party won 36.6% of the vote.

Thousands of Icelanders have lost their savings and jobs since the once-booming financial sector crumbled in October. Many blame Haarde for the crisis that forced Reykjavik to take control of the major banks as the currency nosedived.

The Social Democrats, who are leaving Haarde's coalition to join the Left Greens, have meanwhile also seen their support shrink to just 22%, the new poll showed, down from 28% a month earlier.

In the 2007 elections they won 26.8% of votes.

The poll also indicated that only 26% of Icelanders support the government exiting power today, down from 36% in the last survey.

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