Two thirds of DPJ voters to support party in summer elections: poll

A poll conducted by the Asahi Shimbu newspaper in Japan that was released on Thursday showed that 67 percent of the people who supported the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) in the lower house election last August will again vote for the party in an upcoming upper house election.

The poll also showed that 31 percent would in the summer change allegiance, and vote for a different party.

Of the other parties, 11 percent said they would be likely to vote for the main opposition Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) in the summer, while 8 percent said they would likely vote for Your Party.

Under Japan's electoral system, voters cast ballots for both a constituency representative and also for the party they support.

The postal poll was sent by the Asahi to 3,000 voters, with 2, 327 sending in responses.

The DPJ has seen its popularity decline in recent months as it has struggled with issues such as the relocation of U.S. military facilities in Okinawa Prefecture and the media has reported widely on a series of political fund scandals that have implicated senior politicians.

Source:Xinhua