Support for Fukuda Cabinet edges up after G-8 summit: newspaper polls+

TOKYO, July 16 Kyodo - The approval rating on Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda's Cabinet rose marginally from the previous month in three newspaper surveys conducted after the Group of Eight summit Fukuda chaired earlier this month, the newspapers reported intheir Tuesday morning editions.

The support rate rose 1 percentage point to 22 percent in the Mainichi Shimbun poll.

It also rose 1 point to 24 percent in the Asahi Shimbun survey andincreased 1.5 points to 26.6 percent in the Yomiuri Shimbun poll.

The disapproval rating dropped to 54 percent from 60 percent, the Mainichi said. It stood at 58 percent, down 1 point, the Asahi said. The Yomiuri said it fell 2.1 points to 61.3 percent.

Asked if Fukuda exercised leadership as the chair at the summit of eight major powers July 7-9, 62 percent said they did not think so, far outpacing the 27 percent who said yes, the Mainichi said.

The Asahi asked the same question and 60 percent responded that Fukuda did not exercise leadership at the G-8 event, while 24 percent said he did.

The Yomiuri asked those it polled whether they give the G-8 summit high marks.

Forty-four percent replied in the affirmative and 52 percent in the negative.

The Mainichi's survey was based on replies from 1,060 people over the phone.

The Asahi sampled replies from 1,975 people over the phone. The Yomiuriinterviewed 1,828 people.

The three major newspapers conducted the polls Saturday and Sunday.