Public Disapproval Rating For Japanese Cabinet Jumps Above 50 PercentThe public disapproval rating for Japanese Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori's cabinet jumped above 50 percent in May, surveys conducted by Japan's two major newspapers showed Tuesday.The Mainichi Shimbun said 54 percent of those surveyed over the weekend said they do not support the Mori cabinet, up 30 percentage points from the previous survey in April. The other newspaper, the Yomiuri Shimbun, said the disapproval rating for the cabinet was 54.6 percent, up 18.5 points from the April poll. The Yomiuri surveyed 3,000 eligible voters across Japan and 1,993 responded, while the Mainichi had responses from 1,021 eligible voters. Public support rate for Mori's cabinet, which was shuffled on April 5, stood at 27.9 percent, down 14 points from the April poll, the Yomiuri said. The Mainichi said the approval rating was 20 percent, down from 40 percent in the previous poll. The sharp rise in the disapproval rating largely reflects Japanese public's response to Mori's recent controversial remarks that Japan is a "divine nation with the emperor at its center," the papers said. Asked why they do not support the Mori cabinet, 51 percent of Yomiuri's respondents said they do not trust Mori while 36 percent said they do not support his policies. The Mainichi said 61 percent of respondents said they do not support the Mori cabinet because they do not believe Mori will exert leadership. |
| Please visit People's Daily Online --- http://www.peopledaily.com.cn/english/ |