December 19, 2023

The approval rating for the Kishida Cabinet dropped in all opinion polls. Japanese Communist Party Secretariat Head Koike Akria commented, “The main factor leading to a decline in all polls is the extreme corruption of the Liberal Democratic Party as seen in their suspected involvements in making off-the-book profits from their fundraising parties.”

Koike held a press conference on December 18 in the Diet building and said, “Political donations from corporations and other interest groups are essentially bribery. The same applies for proceeds from sales of political fundraiser tickets,” emphasizing the absolute need for a complete ban on political donations from organizations.

The 1994 revised Political Funds Control Act and the 1999 re-revised law prohibit donations to individual politicians and to fund-management bodies, respectively, from business corporations and other interest groups. However, Koike pointed out that the amended law allows donations to chapters of political parties from business entities and interest groups in addition to donations from fundraiser tickets buyers, leaving a big loophole.

Asked by reporters about LDP Secretary-General Motegi Toshimitsu having expressed the intent to discuss yet another revision of the Political Funds Control Act in response to the revelation of the slush fund scandal, Koike said, “The first thing the LDP must do is to disclose all the details about what it has done. Without this, the law revision will be impossible.” He added, “The LDP must uncover the truth, and the Diet should summon all people concerned in the allegations as sworn witnesses.”

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Cabinet approval rating hits record low in all polls

A Mainichi Shimbun survey (Dec.16, Dec.17) shows the cabinet approval rate of 16%, down five points from the previous month. On the other hand, the disapproval rate hit a record high of 79%, up five points.

The support rate decreased by six points to 22.3%, according to a Kyodo News survey (Dec.16, Dec.17) while the disapproval rate increased by 8.7 points to a record high of 65.4%.

In an Asahi Shimbun survey (Dec.16, Dec.17), 23% expressed support for and 66% expressed dissatisfaction with the present Cabinet. The rates renewed the lowest and highest records, respectively, after the LDP made a comeback in December 2012.

A poll conducted by the Nikkei Shimbun and TV Tokyo (Dec.15 and Dec.16) shows a drop in the approval rating, down four points from the previous month, to 26%.

The Yomiuri Shimbun conducted a poll for three days from December 15. The results indicate the approval rating of 25%, up one point, and the disapproval rating of 63%. The latter was the highest after the LDP returned to power in late 2012.

Past related articles:
> JCP demands summoning of Abe faction’s politicians as sworn witnesses to testify before Diet over off-the-book money scandal [December 12, 2023]
> JCP submits bill to restrict fundraiser ticket sales [December 6, 2023]
> Tamura reveals that PM Kishida earns 90% return from fundraising parties [December 2, 2023]