TOKYO: Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba has experienced a remarkable surge in public support despite his ruling coalition’s recent parliamentary election setback.
A Yomiuri newspaper public opinion poll revealed a nearly 20 percentage point increase in cabinet approval ratings on Monday.
Support for Ishiba’s cabinet stood at 39%, surging by 17 percentage points from last month’s survey taken after the upper house election.
The disapproval rate fell to 50% from July’s 67%.
The public approval for the prime minister likely bounced thanks to factors such as Japan reaching a trade deal with the United States and the government’s announcement of increasing rice production to counter sharp price rise, the newspaper reported.
Ishiba vowed to stay in his post after the election defeat, fending off demands by some of his Liberal Democratic Party lawmakers to resign to take responsibility.
Asked whether Ishiba should step down following the election results, 42% said “yes,“ down from last month’s 54%, the Yomiuri survey showed.
Fifty percent of respondents said Ishiba did not need to resign, up from 35% in the previous poll. – Reuters
