Support for Hatoyama's government slips in poll
Source: Agencies |
March 8, 2010, Monday
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ONLY about one-third of Japanese support Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama's government, and the number planning to vote for the ruling party and the opposition in a key mid-year poll is almost equal, according to a survey released yesterday.
Doubts about Hatoyama's leadership, including his ability to resolve a feud with Washington over a United States Marine airbase and funding scandals have eroded his support and now for his party as well.
Hatoyama on Saturday reiterated he would keep his pledge to solve a feud over where to relocate a US airbase on the southern island of Okinawa by the self-imposed deadline of the end of May, but hinted that he might step down if he could not.
Support for Hatoyama's government has slipped 5.1 points from February to 36.3 percent, according to a Kyodo News Agency opinion poll.
Asked which party they plan to vote for in an upper house election expected in July, 26.9 percent of the respondents said the ruling Democrats, while 26.3 percent preferred the opposition Liberal Democratic Party.
The Democrats swept to power six months ago, winning 308 seats in the 480-seat lower house of parliament against the LDP's 119. Opinion polls had the Democrats with approval ratings around 70 percent.
The party needs to win a majority in the upper house election to avoid policy paralysis as Japan strives to maintain a fragile recovery and rein in its massive debt.
Hatoyama, asked whether he is ready to step down if he cannot settle the base row by the deadline, told reporters on Saturday: "I am strongly resolved to realize each policy. That is obvious."
Some Japanese media interpreted that as meaning he might step down if he could not keep his pledge.
During the lower house election campaign last year that led the Democrats to power, Hatoyama raised hopes in Okinawa that the Marines' Futenma airbase could be moved off the island, host to the bulk of 47,000 US military personnel in Japan.
But Washington wants to stick to a 2006 deal to shift the facility to a less crowded spot on Okinawa.
A senior LDP executive called for the prime minister to quit if he cannot keep his promise of settling the feud before the end of May.
"If the trust between Japan and the United States breaks down, there is a possibility that it would have economic impact," LDP's Secretary-General Tadamori Oshima said yesterday.
Doubts about Hatoyama's leadership, including his ability to resolve a feud with Washington over a United States Marine airbase and funding scandals have eroded his support and now for his party as well.
Hatoyama on Saturday reiterated he would keep his pledge to solve a feud over where to relocate a US airbase on the southern island of Okinawa by the self-imposed deadline of the end of May, but hinted that he might step down if he could not.
Support for Hatoyama's government has slipped 5.1 points from February to 36.3 percent, according to a Kyodo News Agency opinion poll.
Asked which party they plan to vote for in an upper house election expected in July, 26.9 percent of the respondents said the ruling Democrats, while 26.3 percent preferred the opposition Liberal Democratic Party.
The Democrats swept to power six months ago, winning 308 seats in the 480-seat lower house of parliament against the LDP's 119. Opinion polls had the Democrats with approval ratings around 70 percent.
The party needs to win a majority in the upper house election to avoid policy paralysis as Japan strives to maintain a fragile recovery and rein in its massive debt.
Hatoyama, asked whether he is ready to step down if he cannot settle the base row by the deadline, told reporters on Saturday: "I am strongly resolved to realize each policy. That is obvious."
Some Japanese media interpreted that as meaning he might step down if he could not keep his pledge.
During the lower house election campaign last year that led the Democrats to power, Hatoyama raised hopes in Okinawa that the Marines' Futenma airbase could be moved off the island, host to the bulk of 47,000 US military personnel in Japan.
But Washington wants to stick to a 2006 deal to shift the facility to a less crowded spot on Okinawa.
A senior LDP executive called for the prime minister to quit if he cannot keep his promise of settling the feud before the end of May.
"If the trust between Japan and the United States breaks down, there is a possibility that it would have economic impact," LDP's Secretary-General Tadamori Oshima said yesterday.
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