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Japan PM support falls to 36%
TOKYO - ONLY about one-third of Japanese voters support Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama's government, and about the same percentage plans to vote for the main opposition party in a key mid-year poll, a survey showed on Sunday.
Doubts about Hatoyama's leadership, including his ability to resolve a feud with Washington over a US Marine airbase and funding scandals have eroded his support and now appear to be eating away at that for his party as well.
Mr Hatoyama this weekend reiterated he would keep his pledge to solve a feud over where to relocate a US airbase on the southern island of Okinawa by the self-imposed deadline of end-May, but hinted that he might step down if he could not.
Support for Mr Hatoyama's government has slipped 5.1 points from February to 36.3 percent, a public opinion poll by Kyodo News Agency showed.
Asked which party they plan to vote for in an upper house election expected in July, 26.9 per cent of the respondents said the ruling Democrats, while 26.3 per cent preferred the opposition Liberal Democratic Party. The Democrats swept to power six months ago, winning 308 seats in the 480-seat lower house of parliament against the LDP's 119. Opinion polls had the Democrats with approval ratings around 70 per cent. The party needs to win a majority in the upper house election to avoid policy paralysis as Japan strives to keep a fragile recovery on track and rein in its massive public debt.'
Mr Hatoyama, asked whether he is ready to step down if he cannot settle the base row by the deadline, told reporters on Saturday: 'I am strongly resolved to realise each policy. That is obvious.' Some Japanese media interpreted the premier's remark as meaning he might step down if he could not keep his pledge. -- REUTERS
TOKYO - ONLY about one-third of Japanese voters support Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama's government, and about the same percentage plans to vote for the main opposition party in a key mid-year poll, a survey showed on Sunday.
Doubts about Hatoyama's leadership, including his ability to resolve a feud with Washington over a US Marine airbase and funding scandals have eroded his support and now appear to be eating away at that for his party as well.
Mr Hatoyama this weekend reiterated he would keep his pledge to solve a feud over where to relocate a US airbase on the southern island of Okinawa by the self-imposed deadline of end-May, but hinted that he might step down if he could not.
Support for Mr Hatoyama's government has slipped 5.1 points from February to 36.3 percent, a public opinion poll by Kyodo News Agency showed.
Asked which party they plan to vote for in an upper house election expected in July, 26.9 per cent of the respondents said the ruling Democrats, while 26.3 per cent preferred the opposition Liberal Democratic Party. The Democrats swept to power six months ago, winning 308 seats in the 480-seat lower house of parliament against the LDP's 119. Opinion polls had the Democrats with approval ratings around 70 per cent. The party needs to win a majority in the upper house election to avoid policy paralysis as Japan strives to keep a fragile recovery on track and rein in its massive public debt.'
Mr Hatoyama, asked whether he is ready to step down if he cannot settle the base row by the deadline, told reporters on Saturday: 'I am strongly resolved to realise each policy. That is obvious.' Some Japanese media interpreted the premier's remark as meaning he might step down if he could not keep his pledge. -- REUTERS
