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A Third of Japanese Happy with Cabinet
(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - Public support for the administration headed by Japanese prime minister Taro Aso increased this month, according to a poll by Nikkei. 32 per cent of respondents approve of Aso’s cabinet, up seven points since March.
Aside from a brief period in the 1990s, the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) has administered Japan’s government for more than five decades. An election to renew half of the House of Councillors seats took place in July 2007. Final results gave the opposition Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) 60 of the 121 seats at stake, with the governing LDP winning 37 mandates. The opposition—with 137 seats—now holds a majority in the upper house of Japan’s Diet for the first time since the LDP was founded in 1955.
Since the retirement of Junichiro Koizumi, Japan has had three different LDP leaders and prime ministers. Shinzo Abe served from September 2006 to September 2007, and was replaced by Yasuo Fukuda. In September 2008, Fukuda announced he would step down as he felt "swamped" by the country’s issues. Foreign minister Aso won an internal leadership ballot and was sworn in as Japan’s new prime minister.
On Apr. 15, Aso expressed support for Tokyo’s bid to host the 2016 Olympics, declaring, "I will begin the process now with a firm commitment on behalf of the government of Japan. Whatever needs to be done, will be done. Whatever needs to be built, will be built. Whatever needs to be financed, will be financed."
The next election to the House of Representatives must be held on or before Sept. 6, 2009. Sitting prime ministers can dissolve the Diet and call an early ballot at their discretion.
Polling Data
Do you approve or disapprove of Taro Aso’s cabinet?
|
Apr. 2009 |
Mar. 2009 |
Jan. 2009 |
|
|
Approve |
32% |
25% |
19% |
|
Disapprove |
59% |
67% |
76% |
Source: Nikkei
Methodology: Telephone interviews with 866 Japanese adults, conducted from Apr. 24 to Apr. 26, 2009. No margin of error was provided.