Approval rating for Aso`s Cabinet falls into `critical` level: poll

TOKYO, Dec. 7 Kyodo - The approval rating for Prime Minister Taro Aso's Cabinet plunged to 25.5 percent as of this weekend, below the 30 percent line into the level considered ''critical'' in terms of survival, and down 15.4 percentage points from the previous poll in November, according to a Kyodo News survey released Sunday.
The disapproval rating rose to 61.3 percent, up 19.1 points, with 55.7 percent
of the respondents saying the Cabinet's postponement of submitting a second
extra budget to the Diet was inappropriate.
It is generally believed that a Cabinet will face difficulties in remaining in
power when the public support rating falls below the 30 percent threshold.
Respondents also gave higher marks to Ichiro Ozawa, president of the main
opposition Democratic Party of Japan, than to Aso, though marginally, when
asked which one they would prefer to see as leader of the nation.
Ozawa received 34.5 percent, up 10.1 points from the previous poll, while Aso
got 33.5 percent, down 17.5 points. It was the first reversal for the two in
terms of people's preferences since Aso, who also heads the ruling Liberal
Democratic Party, became prime minister in September.
The increase in the disapproval rating for Aso appears to be attributable
mainly to his administration's delay in forming a second supplementary budget,
which only 26.0 percent of the respondents said was appropriate.
The postponement has drawn criticism from various quarters that Aso lacks
consistency in economic policy as he had pledged to prioritize policies for
strengthening the economy when he took the helm of the country.
The government announced late last month that it would submit to the Diet a
second extra budget for the 2008 fiscal year, designed to tackle the financial
crisis, in January when it convenes for its ordinary session, rather than to
the ongoing extraordinary session ending Dec. 25.
A series of comments by Aso that drew criticism as being inappropriate are also
believed to be behind the sharp fall in his approval rating.
Aso was tapped by the LDP as its president and the nation's prime minister in
hope of utilizing his popularity for winning the next general election,
expected to come next spring or later.
Upon hearing the survey results, officials at the prime minister's office and
in the ruling LDP and its smaller partner New Komeito party expressed
disappointment, with LDP General Council Chairman Takashi Sasagawa saying,
''I'm shocked.''
DPJ Secretary General Yukio Hatoyama said, ''The people have given up on Aso's
Cabinet completely.''
Asked about the reasons for disapproving the Cabinet, 28.3 percent of the
respondents said they cannot expect favorable results from its economic
policies, 19.8 percent said they cannot trust the prime minister, and 18.7
percent said they see Aso as lacking leadership.
Asked which political party they would vote for in the proportional
representation block if a general election is called, 38.3 percent cited the
DPJ, outpacing the LDP's 27.4 percent.
On a desirable form of government, the largest percentage of 45.4 percent of
the respondents said they prefer one led by the DPJ followed by 33.1 percent
who prefer one led by the LDP.
On policy, 56.9 percent said they support the government and the ruling parties
shelving a fiscal reform policy designed to cut outlays for public works
projects and social security expenses amid the present economic downturn, but
28.3 percent expressed opposition.
Also, 52.3 percent supported a freeze of a government plan to sell shares in
postal services companies in the process of their privatization, against 32.5
percent who said they were opposed.
The results suggest that an increasing number of voters now prefer a shift from
prioritizing policies for structural reforms that had been held by the
government of former Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi.
As for the time frame for dissolution of the House of Representatives for a
general election, 24.1 percent said they want it to happen at the end of the
year after the state budget for fiscal 2009 is compiled, followed by 23.7
percent saying at the beginning of the next regular Diet session in January.
Overall, the LDP got a support rating of 28.9 percent, followed by the DPJ with
28.7 percent and the New Komeito party with 3.3 percent.
The Japanese Communist Party received a rating of 4.9 percent, and the Social
Democratic Party 1.9 percent, while 30.4 percent said they preferred no
specific party.
The latest survey was carried out Saturday and Sunday by phone in which
people's home phone numbers were selected randomly by computer. Valid responses
were received from 1,023 eligible voters out of a total of 1,474 households
contacted.
==Kyodo