Polls show Abe’s popularity seriously hit after scandal
New polls carried out in Japan show Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s popularity has been falling dramatically since details emerged of a scandal involving his wife, Akie.
Results of a poll by Kyodo news agency released on Saturday showed that 66.1 percent of respondents believed Abe was directly responsible for altered documents related to a discounted sale of state-owned land to school operator Moritomo Gakuen, which had ties to Akie.
Only 25.8 percent of the respondents said they thought Abe didn’t bear responsibility about the alleged cover-up which emerged on March 12 when finance ministry said it had altered records relating to the sale.
The poll showed that Abe’s support slipped by 9.4 percent to 38.7 percent in the past two weeks while 48.2 percent of the respondents said they did not support him.
Another poll by Nippon TV recorded even lower approval ratings for the Japanese premier. It showed support for Abe crumbled 14 percentage points from last month to 30 percent, the worst in more than five years of Abe in office. Abe’s support fell 12 points to 33 percent in another poll by Mainichi Shimbun which also indicated that lack of support for the prime minister climbed 15 points to 47 percent.
People have staged protests every night in Tokyo since the finance ministry admitted it had altered documents related to the land sale. Some 2,000 people marched to Abe’s office on Friday and called on him and Finance Minister Taro Aso to resign.
Some 61 percent of respondents to Nippon TV said Abe should resign against around 29 percent who said he should stay in office. More than half of respondents in Mainichi poll also called for a resignation.
Abe has repeatedly rejected resignation calls, blaming a former tax chief for the flawed land sale. However, the falling popularity could dash his hopes of being re-appointed as leader of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party for a third three-year term in the September election.
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