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Angus Reid Global Monitor : Polls & Research
Abe’s Cabinet Hits All-Time Low in Japan
(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - The administration of Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe has clearly fallen out of grace with the public, according to a poll by Mainichi. Only 22 per cent of respondents approve of Abe's cabinet, down ten points since July.
In September 2006, Abe became the new leader of the governing Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and Japan's 90th prime minister. Abe vowed to "make Japan into a country full of vitality, opportunities and kindness." His tenure has been affected by allegations of corruption, massive clerical errors within the Social Insurance Agency (SIA), embarrassing statements by several cabinet members, and the suicide of agriculture minister Toshikatsu Matsuoka.
An election to renew half of the House of Councillors seats took place on Jul. 29. Final results gave the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) 60 of the 121 seats at stake, with the governing LDP winning 37 mandates. The opposition—with 137 seats—will hold a majority in the House of Councillors for the first time since the LDP was founded in 1955.
On Aug. 9, the international credit-rating company Standard & Poor's said the LDP's defeat in last month's election could harm the Japanese economy. S&P analyst Takahira Ogawa declared: "There is a real risk that political instability could adversely affect the macro economy. (...) As long as the LDP-led coalition only has a majority in the lower house, it will have to navigate between two houses of parliament, which will likely constrain its efforts to pursue pension and tax reforms."
Polling Data
Do you approve or disapprove of Shinzo Abe's cabinet?
Aug. 2007 | Jul. 2007 | May 2007 | |
Approve | 22% | 32% | 32% |
Disapprove | 65% | 52% | 44% |
Source: Mainichi
Methodology: Interviews to 1,165 Japanese adults, conducted on Aug. 4 and Aug. 5, 2007. No margin of error was provided.