Abe Cabinet Approval Rate Flat at 38 Pct: Jiji Poll

May 18, 2018

Tokyo- The public support rate for the cabinet of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe declined 0.3 percentage point from a month before to 38.1 pct in May, standing below the disapproval rate for the third consecutive month, a Jiji Press opinion poll showed Friday.

The disapproval rate edged up 0.4 point to 43.0 pct, according to the survey, conducted for four days through Monday.

Abe's visit to the United States for talks with President Donald Trump last month and the Japan-China-South Korea summit on May 9 did not help him win back support for his administration.

The low support apparently reflected a series of recent scandals relating to the government, including those involving school operators Moritomo Gakuen and Kake Educational Institution and the alleged sexual harassment of a female reporter by a former vice minister of finance.

Respondents who said that Abe is responsible for the favoritism scandal over Kake's plan to open a university veterinary medicine faculty in a national strategic special zone came to 65.2 pct. The school operator is headed by a friend of the prime minister.

During unsworn testimony ahead of the survey on May 10, Tadao Yanase, former executive secretary to Abe, admitted that he had met with officials from the Kake side, drawing criticism from the opposition parties that the government had Kake in mind from the beginning when using a national strategic special zone program to open the veterinary faculty.

Although Abe denied receiving a report from Yanase on the meetings, only 20 pct respondents said the Japanese leader is not responsible for the scandal.

The May survey also showed that 71.2 pct respondents do not expect anything from the Democratic Party for the People, while 11.9 pct expressed expectations for the new political party, created this month through a merger of two opposition parties--the Democratic Party and the Party of Hope.

The support rate for Abe's ruling Liberal Democratic Party grew 1.5 points to 26.8 pct.

Support for the opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan fell 0.1 point to 5.0 pct, while backing for the LDP's coalition partner, Komeito, stood at 4.4 pct, followed by the Japanese Communist Party, at 1.7 pct, and Nippon Ishin no Kai (the Japan Innovation Party), at 0.7 pct.

The Democratic Party for the People drew support from 0.6 pct.

The new Party of Hope, formed by conservative members of the defunct Party of Hope, was supported by 0.2 pct.

On reasons for supporting the Abe cabinet, with multiple answers allowed, 19.5 pct said there is no other suitable person for prime minister, 9.8 pct cited Abe's leadership skills and 8.2 pct said they trust the prime minister.

Regarding disapproval of the cabinet, 28.0 pct said they cannot trust Abe, 18.3 pct had no expectations for the cabinet and 13.2 pct had negative impressions on the Japanese leader.

The interview-based survey covered 2,000 people aged 18 or over across Japan. Valid responses were received from 63.7 pct. Jiji Press