86.6% in Japan back tougher political funds control laws amid scandal

Tokyo: A survey released this week shows that 86.6 percent of respondents back tougher political funds control laws in Japan amid a fundraising scandal embroiling the ruling Liberal Democratic Party.

A total of 61.6 percent were also dissatisfied with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s handling of a magnitude-7.6 earthquake that struck the Noto Peninsula in central Japan on New Year’s Day.

Still, 54.6 percent said they felt the government response to the earthquake was prompt, while 43.8 percent considered it too slow.

The telephone survey, which started on Saturday, put the approval rating for Kishida’s Cabinet at 27.3 percent, up 5 points from an all-time low of 22.3 percent in the previous poll in December but remaining in the 20 percent range for the third consecutive poll.

The disapproval rate, meanwhile, fell 7.9 points to 57.5 percent from the previous survey’s record high. Kishida became prime minister in October 2021.

A total of 80.2 percent of respondents believe LDP factions should be dissolved following revelations multiple members allegedly failed to declare hundreds of millions of yen of fundraising party revenue in political funding reports.

Regarding measures taken by the LDP to prevent such issues from occurring again, 75.1 percent said they have “no expectations,” while 22.4 percent were more optimistic.

A total of 33.4 percent said they hope Kishida steps down as soon as possible, while 49.7 percent said they wanted him to stay on until the LDP presidential election in September. Only 12.2 percent expressed a desire to see him reelected.

On wage hikes, 85 percent were skeptical that wages will rise more than prices, with 11.4 percent saying they would.

At 53.3 percent, a majority of respondents do not support the central government’s stance on the transfer of a key U.S. military base within Okinawa Prefecture, with 37.2 percent expressing support.

Earlier this month, the central government began construction work to relocate the U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma from a residential district in Ginowan to the less populated Henoko despite protests from the local government. The work is to reinforce soft ground at the relocation site.

Regarding support for political parties, the LDP maintained the highest support rate at 33.3 percent, up from 26.0 percent in the previous survey. Its coalition partner, Komeito, garnered 4.4 percent, up from 3.0 percent.

The main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan held a support rate of 8.1 percent, down from 9.3 percent in the December survey, while the Japan Innovation Party also fell from 12.0 percent to 8.8 percent.

Respondents with no particular party affiliation stood at 28.2 percent, down from 29.1 percent.

The survey called 564 randomly selected households with eligible voters and 2,090 mobile phone numbers. It yielded responses from 427 household members and 629 mobile phone users.