Spate of scandals, gaffes push Abe Cabinet support rate down 7 points to 46.7%
Source: Japan Times
The support rate for Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s Cabinet has tumbled 7 points to 46.7 percent, according to a telephone survey conducted Saturday and Sunday by Kyodo News.
The drop from last month’s survey reflects the fallout from scandals and gaffes recently committed by members of his Cabinet and the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, which he heads.
According to the survey, which covered 1,454 households and drew responses from 1,015 people, 77.7 percent said officials in the government and ruling bloc are derelict in their duties. This helped raise the Cabinet’s disapproval rate to 38.9 percent from 35.3 percent in late January.
In an unusual shift, however, 38.1 percent of the respondents said the new security laws enacted last year should be scrapped, versus 47.0 percent who disagreed. The contentious laws, which expand the types of missions that can be taken by the Self-Defense Forces, take effect on March 29. The opposition parties have submitted bills to scrap them.
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Read more: http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2016/02/21/national/politics-diplomacy/spate-scandals-gaffes-push-abe-cabinet-support-rate-7-points-46-7/