Approval Rating Hits 38% in Asahi Poll... Drops to 3% in June, Ranking 4th
'Rivals' Former Secretary-General Ishiba at 25% · Kishida Party President at 5%
[Asia Economy Reporter Jeong Hyunjin] Yoshihide Suga, Chief Cabinet Secretary, who gained overwhelming support from major factions within the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) in the party president election, has also risen to the top spot in public opinion polls. His approval rating, which was only in fourth place just three months ago, has surged, indicating a shift in public sentiment.
According to a telephone poll conducted by Asahi Shimbun on June 2-3 with 1,130 Japanese voters, 38% responded that "Chief Secretary Suga" is the most suitable candidate for the next prime minister. Former LDP Secretary-General Shigeru Ishiba received 25%, and LDP Policy Research Council Chairman Fumio Kishida got 5%. The percentage of respondents who did not support any of the three was relatively high at 28%.
In a June poll asking which of seven politicians was suitable as the next prime minister, former Secretary-General Ishiba was chosen by 31% of respondents, ranking first, while Chief Secretary Suga’s approval rating was only 3%, placing him fourth. After Prime Minister Shinzo Abe announced his resignation, the LDP’s internal dynamics shifted in favor of Suga, and public opinion appears to be following this trend.
Notably, among LDP supporters, Suga’s approval rating was 49%, significantly surpassing Ishiba’s 23%. Among respondents without party affiliation, 31% chose Suga, while 22% selected Ishiba.
When asked about the most important quality for the next prime minister, 37% cited "leadership," followed by "fairness and honesty" at 32%, "policy and ideology" at 15%, and "coordination ability" at 11%. Considering this, 43% of those who valued leadership supported Suga, higher than the 20% who supported Ishiba. Conversely, among those who prioritized "fairness and honesty," 34% supported Ishiba, exceeding Suga’s 25%.
Opinions were divided on whether the next prime minister should "inherit the Abe administration," with 45% in favor and 42% opposed. Among those who supported inheritance, 59% chose Suga as the next prime minister, while 13% supported Ishiba. Conversely, among those opposed to inheritance, 37% favored Ishiba, and 17% chose Suga.
Regarding the LDP presidential election, which effectively decides Japan’s prime minister but is conducted through a simplified vote excluding party members and supporters, 60% of respondents said this was "not good." On the timing of the dissolution of the House of Representatives, 68% preferred next year, while 23% thought it should be done within this year.
Seventy-one percent gave a positive evaluation of the Abe administration’s achievements over 7 years and 8 months, while 28% gave a negative evaluation. This contrasts with a September 2007 poll conducted immediately after Abe announced his resignation during his first administration, where positive evaluations were 37% and negative evaluations were 60%. Among Abe’s policies, "diplomacy and security" received a high positive rating.
Party support rates showed the LDP at 40%, up 10 percentage points from the July survey. The main opposition party, the Constitutional Democratic Party, was at 3%.
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