Tokyo: The approval rating for Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s cabinet has decreased to the lowest-ever 51.0 per cent compared to a record high of 63.2 per cent just weeks ago, a new survey has revealed.
According to the result of the two-day nationwide Kyodo News survey, the approval rating this weekend was the Kishida administration’s lowest since it took office in October 2021, reports Xinhua news agency.
Among the surveyed, 53.3 per cent said they are opposed to the state funeral for former leader Shinzo Abe, while 61.9 per cent said it is necessary to hold a parliamentary debate on the state funeral.
The sharp decline came following the Kishida cabinet’s best-ever support in the wake of the ruling coalition parties’ victory in the House of Councillors election on July 10 and Abe’s death after being fatally shot during a July 8 campaign stump speech.
However, the government’s decision to hold a state funeral for Abe drew strong criticism from the opposition and the public who said there are no legal provisions for holding such a funeral.
The country’s resurgence of Covid-19 infections and surging commodity prices which led to rising living costs also contributed to the decline in Kishida cabinet’s support rate.
Amid the spike in new cases, the survey showed 53.3 per cent of the respondents support the government’s response, down 7.7 percentage points from the previous poll conducted on July 11-12.
About 63.6 per cent said they do not approve of the government’s measures on rising prices, compared to 28.1 per cent who approve.
–IANS