Japan PM's popularity plunging on eve of US trip
02/23/2009 | 02:58 PM
TOKYO — Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso now ranks among the country's least popular postwar leaders, two polls showed Monday, casting fresh doubt on his ability to lead or even remain in office as he prepares to meet President Barack Obama.
A Mainichi newspaper poll said voter support for Aso has fallen to 11 percent, while the Nikkei business daily said he is backed by 15 percent of voters. Both polls were taken over the weekend, with the papers saying his support levels are nearing the lowest levels ever for a Japanese prime minister.
The Mainichi poll also showed 39 percent of voters think Aso should step down immediately, while the Nikkei poll indicated 70 percent of voters favor quickly holding general elections.
The polls follow similarly dire results in other recent surveys, and analysts say Aso's trip to the U.S. is partly a bid to salvage his popularity among Japanese voters. He was to meet Obama Tuesday, the first foreign leader to visit the White House.
"Aso's popularity is really falling, and he is looking to somehow get a boost," said Eiken Itagaki, a political analyst.
Obama is wildly popular in Japan, where his early days in office have been closely chronicled in the media and a book of his speeches has sold hundreds of thousands of copies.
But Aso's grip on power is slipping even as the U.S. seeks to deepen its ties with Japan under the Obama administration.
"Probably, the Obama administration has realized that Aso is a lame duck, but their position is that they would like to talk to the Japanese prime minister, not Prime Minister Aso," said Tsuneo Watanabe, a fellow at the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies.
Economic cooperation between the world's two largest economies is likely to be at the top of the agenda, along with environmental issues and ongoing efforts to lower the number of U.S. troops based in Japan.
In Japan, the hazy leadership picture has emboldened the political opposition, making it difficult for Aso to pass legislation combating the economic crisis. In recent days even prominent members of his party, including former prime minister Junichiro Koizumi, have voiced their displeasure with his leadership.
Many expect that Aso's Liberal Democratic Party, which has long held power in Japan, will lose political control of the country in the next general elections. Ichiro Ozawa, leader of the opposition Democratic Party of Japan, has received more support than Aso in recent voter polls.
The newspaper polls were conducted through random telephone interviews with eligible voters. The Mainichi poll interviewed 1,067 Feb. 21-22, while the Nikkei poll interviewed 960 Feb. 20-22. Neither poll provided a margin of error, but random polls of their size typically have a margin of error of 3 percentage points. - AP
A Mainichi newspaper poll said voter support for Aso has fallen to 11 percent, while the Nikkei business daily said he is backed by 15 percent of voters. Both polls were taken over the weekend, with the papers saying his support levels are nearing the lowest levels ever for a Japanese prime minister.
The Mainichi poll also showed 39 percent of voters think Aso should step down immediately, while the Nikkei poll indicated 70 percent of voters favor quickly holding general elections.
The polls follow similarly dire results in other recent surveys, and analysts say Aso's trip to the U.S. is partly a bid to salvage his popularity among Japanese voters. He was to meet Obama Tuesday, the first foreign leader to visit the White House.
"Aso's popularity is really falling, and he is looking to somehow get a boost," said Eiken Itagaki, a political analyst.
Obama is wildly popular in Japan, where his early days in office have been closely chronicled in the media and a book of his speeches has sold hundreds of thousands of copies.
But Aso's grip on power is slipping even as the U.S. seeks to deepen its ties with Japan under the Obama administration.
"Probably, the Obama administration has realized that Aso is a lame duck, but their position is that they would like to talk to the Japanese prime minister, not Prime Minister Aso," said Tsuneo Watanabe, a fellow at the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies.
Economic cooperation between the world's two largest economies is likely to be at the top of the agenda, along with environmental issues and ongoing efforts to lower the number of U.S. troops based in Japan.
In Japan, the hazy leadership picture has emboldened the political opposition, making it difficult for Aso to pass legislation combating the economic crisis. In recent days even prominent members of his party, including former prime minister Junichiro Koizumi, have voiced their displeasure with his leadership.
Many expect that Aso's Liberal Democratic Party, which has long held power in Japan, will lose political control of the country in the next general elections. Ichiro Ozawa, leader of the opposition Democratic Party of Japan, has received more support than Aso in recent voter polls.
The newspaper polls were conducted through random telephone interviews with eligible voters. The Mainichi poll interviewed 1,067 Feb. 21-22, while the Nikkei poll interviewed 960 Feb. 20-22. Neither poll provided a margin of error, but random polls of their size typically have a margin of error of 3 percentage points. - AP
