Approval rate for Abe’s Cabinet falls to 36 per cent: Poll

TOKYO, Aug 23, 2020, Kyodo. The approval rate for Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s Cabinet stands at 36.0 percent, the second lowest since he returned to power in late 2012, at a time when he is facing public criticism over his handling of the coronavirus pandemic, a Kyodo News survey showed Sunday, Kyodo News reported.

The result, down from 38.8 percent a month ago, was released a day before Abe is set to become Japan’s longest-serving prime minister in terms of consecutive days in office.

The two-day telephone survey from Saturday found 58.4 percent have been discontent with the government’s handling of the pandemic, while 70.8 percent think Abe should convene an extraordinary parliamentary session as soon as possible, as requested by opposition parties to discuss measures to stem the spread of the virus.

The disapproval rate came to 49.1 percent, up from 48.5 percent in the previous survey.

On Sunday, Abe marked his 2,798th consecutive day in office, tying his great uncle Eisaku Sato, who served as prime minister between 1964 and 1972.

Asked about Abe’s long-running administration, 43.9 percent said it had more negative aspects than positive ones, while 49.6 percent answered the other way around.

Members of Japan’s Democratic Party for the People earlier this month agreed to disband and merge with the country’s largest opposition party in an attempt to mount a united front against Abe’s ruling coalition.

But only 22.0 percent of the respondents said they have hopes of a new opposition party to be created with its merger with the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan.