59% want Koizumi to remain as premier through Sept. 2006

Japan Policy & Politics, May 2, 2005

TOKYO, April 26 Kyodo

Almost 60 percent of people polled want Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi to stay in power until his term as Liberal Democratic Party president expires in September next year, a Kyodo News survey showed Tuesday.

The nationwide telephone survey, covering 1,021 voters picked at random and conducted Monday and Tuesday to mark the fourth anniversary Tuesday of the launch of the Koizumi administration, indicates the public appreciates his structural reform policies and achievements of his Cabinet.

It said 59.0 percent of the respondents hope Koizumi will stay in power until the expiration of his term, while 33.6 percent do not. Those who appreciate the achievements of the Koizumi administration during the four years came to 57.4 percent, exceeding 41.4 percent of respondents who do not, according to the survey.

The Cabinet approval rating came to 46.5 percent, up 2.7 percentage points from the previous survey in March. The disapproval rating fell 4.7 points to 38.3 percent.

Meanwhile, 55.6 percent responded negatively to Koizumi's efforts to improve ties with China following a series of anti-Japan rallies there.

Among the nonsupporters, 13.8 percent said they do not appreciate his diplomatic policies, compared with 6.3 percent in the previous survey, indicating the public is irritated over the stalemate in bilateral ties with China and Russia, as well as North Korea's abduction of Japanese nationals.

The survey also showed 44.9 percent support postal privatization, while 33.3 percent oppose it.

As for approval ratings for the parties, the LDP stood at 33.0 percent, up 1.9 points; the largest opposition Democratic Party of Japan at 17.3 percent, down 7.4 points; the LDP's ruling coalition partner, the New Komeito party at 2.9 percent, down 0.6 point; the Japanese Communist Party at 2.2 percent, down 0.2 point; and the Social Democratic Party at 1.9 percent, up 0.1 point, according to the survey.

Among the respondents, 40.8 percent said they do not support any particular party, up 5.1 points.