Japan PM Abe's support falls below 30 pc in poll

Tokyo, July 2: Support for Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe fell below 30 per cent in a newspaper poll published today less than a month before a critical upper house election.

About 28 per cent of those who responded to the poll said they support Abe, down from 31 per cent in the previous poll a week earlier and the weakest result for the once popular Abe since he came to office in September.

Some 48 per cent of respondents to the poll carried out by the Asahi newspaper at the weekend said they did not support Abe, the paper said.

Abe, whose approval ratings have been hit due to government mismanagement of pension records and alleged corruption in his cabinet faces an uphill battle to regain voter confidence ahead of his first major ballot box test on July 29.

A separate poll published by Jiji news agency earlier in the month put Abe's support at 28.8 per cent the first time a Japanese prime minister's support rate had fallen below 30 per cent since 2001.

Reuters>