Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida attends a press conference at the prime minister's official residence in Tokyo, Japan, Nov. 2, 2023. (Kiyoshi Ota/Pool via Xinhua)
TOKYO, Dec. 13 (Xinhua) -- The approval rate for Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's cabinet has fallen to 23 percent, the lowest since Kishida took office in October 2021, according to the latest NHK opinion poll.
Public broadcaster NHK conducted the survey from Friday through Sunday, with more than 1,200 people responding.
The cabinet's approval rate dropped 6 points from last month, also a record low since the main ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) won back power in December 2012, while the disapproval rate rose 6 points to 58 percent, NHK said on Monday.
The survey found that 40 percent of those who approved of Kishida's cabinet said it seems preferable to possible alternatives, while 28 percent said it consists of political parties they support.
Among those who disapproved, 50 percent said they have low expectations for the cabinet's policies, and 26 percent said the cabinet cannot implement its policies.
Following the unfolding political fund scandal involving major factions of the LDP, which are suspected of having underreported revenues from fundraising events, Kishida has called on the factions to refrain from holding fundraising events.
Kishida last week left the faction that he had headed since 2012, saying that he wanted to take the initiative and work hard to restore public trust from a neutral position.
When asked about Kishida's response, 22 percent of respondents said it was appropriate, while 66 percent said it was too late.■