Aso Cabinet support rate falls to 46%

Written by Writer on Monday, October 13th, 2008

Aso Cabinet support rate falls to 46%

The approval rating for Prime Minister Taro Aso’s Cabinet has dropped to 45.9 percent, according to a Yomiuri Shimbun survey.

The approval rating was down 3.6 percentage points from the previous survey conducted Sept. 24 and 25, immediately after the inauguration of the Cabinet. At the same time, the Cabinet’s disapproval rating increased by 5.2 percentage points to 38.6 percent, according to the latest survey.

The nationwide telephone-interview survey was conducted on 1,820 voters from Friday to Sunday, with 1,056, or 58 percent, giving valid answers.

Asked about the timing of the next House of Representatives election in view of the ongoing U.S.-sparked global financial crisis, 70 percent of respondents said the government should prioritize the implementation of economic pump-priming measures over calling a general election. The figure largely exceeded the 25 percent who said the government should pursue economic measures after a general election is held.

Eighty-eight percent of respondents said they were “strongly” or “somewhat”–67 percent and 21 percent respectively–concerned that the global financial crisis and plunging stock prices would negatively impact the Japanese economy in the future.

Asked when they thought the general election should take place, 34 percent said it should be held before September 2009, when current lower house members’ terms expire, and 23 percent of respondents said the general election should be held next spring–making for a total of 57 percent who said they hoped for a post-springtime poll date.

Twenty-five percent hoped the government would hold the election immediately, and 12 percent said it should take place around the beginning of the year.