Takaichi Cabinet’s Approval Rate Slips below 50 Pct for 1st Time: Jiji Poll

Tokyo, July 16 (Jiji Press)–Public support for Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s cabinet fell by 5.3 percentage points from the previous month to 49.0 pct in July, standing below 50 pct for the first time since she took office in October last year, a Jiji Press survey showed Thursday. The proportion of respondents who did not support the cabinet stood at 25.2 pct, while 25.7 pct had no opinion, according to the July survey, conducted for four days through Monday. Opposition parties refused to join parliamentary deliberations at one point during the ongoing Diet session as Takaichi’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party and its coalition partner, the Japan Innovation Party, tried to force through their key bills, including one to establish a secondary capital. The latest survey result apparently reflects such Diet management by the government and the ruling parties. The approval rate fell the most among respondents in their 60s, with their support diving to 39.9 pct from 63.7 pct in June. By contrast, the proportion of respondents in the same age bracket who did not support the cabinet surged to 33.3 pct from 15.1 pct. Of respondents supporting the Takaichi cabinet, with multiple answers allowed, 21.3 pct cited her leadership, 14.4 pct said they trusted the prime minister and 14.2 pct said there were no other people fit to be prime minister. As reasons for disapproving of the cabinet, 10.8 pct each said that they can expect little from it or cannot back its policies, and 10.6 pct said that they cannot trust the prime minister. The public support rate for the LDP slid 2.0 points to 20.8 pct, the highest figure by party. Among opposition parties, Komeito topped the list, at 3.0 pct, up 0.7 point. Support for Sanseito fell by 0.4 point to 2.5 pct, that for the JIP gained 0.2 point to 2.3 pct, and that for the Centrist Reform Alliance shed 0.4 point to 1.7 pct. The Democratic Party for the People was backed by 1.6 pct, the Japanese Communist Party by 1.4 pct, Team Mirai by 1.2 pct and the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan by 1.1 pct. The support rate came to 0.4 pct each for Reiwa Shinsengumi, the Social Democratic Party and the Conservative Party of Japan. Respondents who did not support specific political parties accounted for 59.5 pct. The interview survey covered 2,000 individuals aged 18 or older across the country. Valid responses were given by 57.1 pct. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]