TOKYO (REUTERS) - A majority of Japanese firms want long-serving Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to finish his term to September 2021, but fewer than one in five say he should stay beyond that, a Reuters poll showed, as allegations that he broke campaign laws erode public support.
Opposition lawmakers allege Mr Abe favoured supporters with invites to an annual state-funded cherry-blossom viewing party and may have broken campaign laws by subsidising backers' attendance at a reception the night before.
Questions have also arisen over whether a gangster attended the state-funded event and why this year's invitation list was shredded.
The Prime Minister has denied any wrongdoing.
Mr Abe, who quit after a troubled 2006-07 term and returned to office in December 2012 promising to revive the economy, in November became Japan's longest-serving premier, breaking a record set over a century ago.
"A lengthy administration invites concentration of power and corruption may easily emerge, but there is no other politician with the experience and ability," a manager at a textile firm said in a written response explaining why Mr Abe should stay on.
Fifty-nine per cent said Mr Abe should complete his term as Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) leader but then step down.
Another 16 per cent want him to stay longer.
That would require a rule change by the LDP, whose head is virtually assured the premiership if the party stays in power.
Twenty-five per cent, though, said he should quit sooner.
"Domestically, there is a feeling of stagnation and friction with neighbouring countries has emerged," wrote a manager at a transport equipment firm.
Japan's relations with US ally South Korea have chilled due to a feud over their shared wartime legacy, although ties with China have improved.
Media polls have shown the cherry-blossom affair chipping away at voter support, although backing for the fragmented opposition remains weak. A Mainichi newspaper survey published on Monday showed a six point drop to 42 per cent from October.
The decline has not ended speculation that Mr Abe might call a snap Lower House election to renew his mandate.
Former defence minister Shigeru Ishiba, an outspoken Abe critic, topped the list - barely - of lawmakers respondents want to take over as premier when Mr Abe's term ends, with 17 per cent to Mr Abe's 16 per cent. LDP rising star Shinjiro Koizumi was the choice for 11 per cent.
The corporate survey, conducted from Nov 20 to Dec 2 for Reuters by Nikkei Research, canvassed 502 big and mid-size non-financial companies.
Roughly 240 firms answered questions on politics on condition of anonymity to express opinions freely.
