LDP Support Tops 30 Pct for 1st Time in 4 Yrs: Jiji Press Poll

Tokyo, Feb. 19 (Jiji Press)–The support rate for Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party topped 30 pct for the first time in four years in February, a Jiji Press opinion poll showed Thursday. Support for the LDP jumped 7.6 percentage points from the previous month to 30.1 pct, according to the survey conducted over four days through Monday, after the Feb. 8 general election for the House of Representatives, the all-important lower chamber of the Diet, Japan’s parliament, in which the party secured a landslide victory. LDP support had remained only slightly above 20 pct even after Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, who is popular among the public, took office last October. The last time the LDP support rate exceeded 30 pct was in April 2022, when it was led by then Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. The February survey showed that the approval rate for the cabinet of Takaichi, who heads the LDP, rose 2.8 points to 63.8 pct to match the highest level for her cabinet, also marked last November. The disapproval rate for the Takaichi cabinet stood at 18.4 pct, up 3.3 points from January. In the general election, the LDP obtained more than two-thirds of the Lower House seats, making it possible to pass in fresh votes bills that were approved by the lower chamber but were rejected later by the House of Councillors, the upper chamber. Of the respondents, 39.5 pct expressed approval of the situation while 32.7 pct disapproved. Asked about the desirable government framework, 36.9 pct showed support for the continuation of the current coalition of the LDP and the Japan Innovation Party, followed by 19.9 pct who said that they favor the inclusion of some opposition parties in the LDP-JIP coalition, and 16.1 pct who said they support a sole LDP administration. Only 7.0 pct said the LDP should break with the JIP and form a coalition with another party. Among LDP and JIP supporters, 49.3 pct and 70.4 pct, respectively, called for the current coalition framework to be maintained. The LDP led other political parties in support ratings in the February survey. The major opposition Centrist Reform Alliance, formed by the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan and Komeito shortly before the latest general election, ranked second, at 6.3 pct. The party suffered a crushing defeat in the election. The Democratic Party for the People placed third, at 3.6 pct, followed by Sanseito, at 2.6 pct, the JIP, at 2.4 pct, Team Mirai, at 2.2 pct, the Japanese Communist Party, at 2.0 pct, Komeito, at 0.9 pct, Reiwa Shinsengumi and the Conservative Party of Japan, at 0.8 pct each, the CDP, at 0.7 pct, and the Social Democratic Party, at 0.3 pct. The interview survey covered 2,000 people aged 18 or over across the country. Valid responses came from 55.7 pct. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]