Japan Press Weekly

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2020 May 20 - 26 [POLITICS]

Abe Cabinet approval rating hits record low

An opinion poll the Asahi Shimbun conducted on May 23 and 24 shows that the approval rating for the Abe Cabinet hit a record low of 29% since the second Abe Cabinet was inaugurated in 2012 while the disapproval rating was 52%. A Mainichi Shimbun survey of May 23 also indicates a sharp drop in the approval rating to 27%.

Asked for a comment by the press corps about the decline in the Cabinet approval rating, Japanese Communist Party Secretariat Head Koike Akira in the Diet building on May 25 said, "The crucial factor, I think, was the government's shady handling of the issue surrounding Kurokawa Hiromu, former head of the Tokyo High Public Prosecutors Office."

Koike also said, "The general public already had a sense of distrust in the Abe government resulting from the 'Moritomo' and 'Kake' favoritism scandals. The slow handling by the government in regard to the spread of the new coronavirus increased public distrust further. Public mistrust of the government is at an all-time high."

He added, "Prime Minister Abe Shinzo often says, 'It is my responsibility,' but he has never taken responsibility. It is high time for him to take responsibility."

According to the Asahi survey, 57% of respondents said they "do not approve" of the government measures dealing with the spread of COVID-19 infections while 30% "approved". Regarding the extension of the retirement age of Kurokawa Hiromu, who recently resigned from his post as superintending prosecutor of the Tokyo High Public Prosecutors Office for having played mahjong for money, 68% responded that PM Abe is "largely" responsible for this while 24% said his responsibility is "not that large".