Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s public support slips to a new low
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s public support have slipped to a new low. A Kyodo news poll found that support for Kishida’s government has dropped to 33.1 per cent from 37.6 per cent a month earlier, marking his lowest rating in polls conducted by the organisation since he took office in October 2021.
Even the $200 billion economic stimulus package meant to soothe inflationary woes brought on by the yen’s plummet to 32-year lows failed to help Kishida’s approval ratings.
According to the survey released on Sunday, a slew of cabinet resignations has intensified resentment over the ruling party’s affiliation with a controversial religious group.
Kishida’s approval ratings have reportedly been falling ever since the assassination of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in July. The death according to Reuters exposed long-standing and close links between Japanese lawmakers from the ruling Liberal Democratic Party and the Unification Church, which some have called a cult.
Scandals that have resulted in the resignation of three cabinet ministers since last month have made the issues faced by the government worse.
According to the recently conducted Kyodo survey, 62.4 per cent of respondents disapproved of Kishida’s handling of the resignations of Ministers of Economic Revitalization Daishiro Yamagiwa, Minister of Justice Yasuhiro Hanashi, and Minister of Internal Affairs Minoru Terada.
However, in response to the government’s push to strengthen Japan’s defence capabilities, 60.8 per cent of respondents said they would favour the nation gaining counterattack capabilities to strengthen deterrence, a move that is considered contentious under the pacifist constitution, while 35 per cent were against it.
(With inputs from agencies)
