Japanese Prime Minister's Approval Rating Continues to Fall: Survey
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Tokyo, Dec 15 (NationPress) The approval rating for Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba has witnessed a decline, according to the most recent survey.
The approval rating fell by 3.5 percentage points from the previous poll conducted in mid-November, now standing at 36.5 percent. The disapproval rating has climbed to 43.1 percent as Ishiba's administration faces doubts regarding its capability to pass essential legislation and budgetary measures, as reported by Xinhua news agency.
Moreover, 66 percent of those surveyed demanded enhanced transparency in the use of political funds amid ongoing scandals, while 85.5 percent expressed concerns about misinformation circulating on social media during election periods.
This nationwide survey gathered insights from 1,056 individuals.
In October, the approval rating for the Cabinet of the new Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba was recorded at 50.7 percent, with a disapproval rate of 28.9 percent, according to the previous poll. When Ishiba's predecessor, Fumio Kishida, inaugurated his Cabinet in October 2021, the approval rate was 55.7 percent and disapproval was at 26.1 percent.
Ishiba ascended to the position of prime minister following a slush fund scandal that affected the Liberal Democratic Party and eroded public confidence in politics. He has pledged to reform the party and plans to initiate a general election after the anticipated dissolution of the ruling coalition-controlled House of Representatives next week.
Recent prime ministers have enjoyed higher approval ratings shortly after taking office, though direct comparisons are challenging due to varying polling methodologies.
The Cabinet of Yoshihide Suga had an approval rating of 66.4 percent in September 2020, while his predecessor and Japan's longest-serving leader, Shinzo Abe, held a support rate of 62.0 percent in December 2012 when he returned to power for a second time.
A significant 73.0 percent of respondents do not anticipate that the issues surrounding the recent political fund scandal will be resolved under Ishiba, compared to just 22.8 percent who expressed optimism.
Despite this, 42.3 percent of respondents indicated support for the LDP, an increase from 36.7 percent in August, followed by 11.7 percent for the CDPJ, a slight decrease from 12.3 percent. The Japan Innovation Party ranked third at 5.4 percent, down from 8.5 percent.
