TOKYO: Support for Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba slid further ahead of major national elections, a poll by public broadcaster NHK showed today, as voters gave the thumbs-up instead to tax cuts proposed by opposition parties.
Support for Ishiba’s cabinet stood at 31%, down from 34% a week ago and 39% in early June.
Ishiba’s Liberal Democratic Party and junior partner Komeito, which form the ruling coalition, lost their combined majority in the lower house last year.
Another poor performance in the upper house elections, slated for July 20, would deliver a heavy blow to Ishiba’s grip on power.
To help the public cope with rising prices, Ishiba is proposing one-off cash handouts, while most opposition parties have pledged in their campaign platforms to cut or abolish the sales tax.
The NHK survey showed 52% of those polled prefer sales tax cuts or abolition of cash handouts, while 17% said they prefer cash handouts.