Ishiba cabinet disapproval rises to 44 %: Jiji Poll
The public disapproval rate for Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba's cabinet rose 4.0 percentage points from the previous month to 44.1 % in March, a Jiji Press opinion poll showed Thursday.
It was the highest level since the launch of his administration in October last year.
The approval rate fell 0.6 percentage point to 27.9 %, remaining below the key threshold of 30 %, which indicates that the administration is in the "danger zone."
The survey found that 45.4 % of respondents approved an agreement among the Liberal Democratic Party, Komeito and the opposition Nippon Ishin no Kai (Japan Innovation Party) to scrap the income cap in a program to make high school education free. Meanwhile, 33.2 % viewed the deal negatively.
The LDP-Komeito ruling bloc's decision to raise the taxable income threshold to 1.6 million yen per year was supported by 48.8 % and opposed by 25.4 %.
Over the LDP's slush funds scandal, a former accountant of the now-defunct party faction once led by the late former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe gave parliamentary testimony about its resumption of fundraising party revenue kickbacks that contradicts remarks by former faction executives.
The survey found that 67.1 % of respondents said they think the former executives should be called to give parliamentary testimony, against only 14.7 % who do not think so.
When asked about the reason for supporting the Ishiba cabinet, 11.8 %, the largest group, said there is no one else suitable to be prime minister. Meanwhile, the most common reason for disapproving the cabinet was that it is not promising, cited by 27.1 %.
By political party, support for the LDP stood unchanged at 17.9 %, while that for the opposition Democratic Party for the People rose 1.9 points to 8.0 %.
The main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan was supported by 4.2 %, down 1.2 points, followed by Komeito at 3.5 %, Nippon Ishin at 2.4 % and Reiwa Shinsengumi at 1.9 %.
The Japanese Communist Party came next at 1.3 %, followed by the Conservative Party of Japan at 0.9 %, Sanseito at 0.5 % and the Social Democratic Party at 0.3 %.
The DPFP was the most popular party among respondents in their 10s to 20s, backed by 21.3 % in the age bracket, and among those in their 30s, at 10.0 %.
The LDP and the DPFP tied in support among those in their 40s at 9.6 % each, while the LDP came out on top for respondents in their 50s and older.
The interview survey, conducted over the four days through Monday, covered 2,000 people aged 18 and older across the country. Valid responses came from 59.3 %.
[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]
Photo by Reuters
