Aso Cabinet support rate falls to 17.5%, DPJ at 38.5%

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TOKYO, June 15 Kyodo -
The support rate for the Cabinet of Prime Minister Taro Aso stands at 17.5
percent, a weekend Kyodo News survey showed Monday, down 8.7 points from the
previous poll in May in a sharp reversal of the recent recovery trend.
In the telephone poll conducted Saturday and Sunday following the resignation
of Kunio Hatoyama as internal affairs and communications minister, 38.5 percent
of respondents expressed support for the main opposition Democratic Party of
Japan, compared with 19.8 percent for Aso's Liberal Democratic Party.
The support rate for the LDP was the lowest for a ruling party on record in
Kyodo polls.
The disapproval rate for the Cabinet shot up 10.4 points from the previous poll
to 70.6 percent. Aso effectively dismissed Hatoyama on Friday over a
high-profile row concerning the reappointment of Yoshifumi Nishikawa, the
president of Japan Post Holdings Co.
In the latest opinion poll, phone calls were made to numbers selected randomly
by computer. A total of 1,473 households with eligible voters were called, with
valid responses received from 1,039 individuals.
In the latest survey, 17.5 percent said they approve of Aso's removal of
Hatoyama, while 74.8 percent said they disapprove of the premier's decision.
Asked what party they would vote for in the next House of Representatives
election, 47.8 percent named the DPJ and 18.7 percent said the LDP.
The support rate for the Aso Cabinet, which had been dwindling since its launch
last September, had shown a recovery in recent months due to a political funds
scandal involving former DPJ leader Ichiro Ozawa.
Critics say the new plunge in the approval rate could trigger movements within
the LDP to replace Aso as party leader.
As for Nishikawa, 75.5 percent of respondents said he should step down, while
17.2 percent said he should stay on as the head of the postal body.
Hatoyama, one of Aso's closest allies, opposed the reappointment of Nishikawa
as head of the government-owned entity set up as a result of Japan's postal
privatization reforms. He had claimed Japan Post attempted to sell the
Kampo-no-yado nationwide resort inn properties at excessively low prices.
In a question about who would be more suitable as prime minister, Yukio
Hatoyama, the incumbent DPJ leader, garnered support from 50.4 percent of the
respondents, while Aso was backed by 21.5 percent. The opposition leader is the
elder brother of the sacked minister.
A total of 35.9 percent of those surveyed said a DPJ-led ruling coalition would
be desirable, while 14.9 percent said they would prefer an LDP-led governing
bloc and 14.7 percent said they want to see a coalition between the LDP and
DPJ.
Twenty-eight percent said they prefer a new ruling party framework as a result
of major political realignment.
As for reasons to support the Aso Cabinet, 44.3 percent said there is no other
choice. Asked why they disapprove of the Cabinet, 23.0 percent cited the lack
of leadership by Aso.
On Aso's policy of cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 15 percent from 2005
levels by 2020, 57.6 percent said the targeted reduction is too large, 26.5
percent said it is appropriate and 4.9 percent said the cut is too small.
The premier unveiled Japan's mid-term policy for tackling global warming last
Wednesday.
==Kyodo