PM Suga's ratings hit record lows ahead of party vote

TOKYO • Public support for Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga has hit record lows, polls for two major newspapers showed yesterday, turning up the heat on the unpopular Premier less than a month before he faces a challenge as leader of the ruling party.

Mr Suga has failed to capitalise on delivering the Olympics for the nation, which is stricken by Covid-19, as a fresh wave of infections has forced the government to declare a fourth state of emergency in most of the country amid a sluggish vaccination roll-out.

The Mainichi newspaper poll showed public support for Mr Suga sliding below 30 per cent for the first time, to a dismal 26 per cent. The Nikkei daily put his ratings at 34 per cent, in line with a record low hit in its survey last month.

One of the polls also showed that Mr Suga's possible rivals for the top job, such as Administrative Reform Minister Taro Kono who is leading Japan's vaccination push, and former defence minister Shigeru Ishiba, were more popular with the public.

The 72-year-old Prime Minister also faced rare criticism from writer Haruki Murakami, who said that if the Premier was able to see the way out of the pandemic, "he must have very good eyesight for his age". In a radio appearance on Sunday, the author of the 1987 novel, Norwegian Wood, said: "I'm the same age as Suga, and I don't see a way out.

"That man has ears that don't hear much, but his eyes are exceptionally strong. Or perhaps he just sees what he wants to see."

The comments were among the most trending topics on Japanese Twitter.

Despite the disappointing poll ratings, Mr Toshihiro Nikai, the powerful secretary-general of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), has reiterated his support for Mr Suga in an interview with Kyodo news.

"In the current difficult situation, he's working hard every day as the Prime Minister. It's very good for the party if he continues to be in charge," Kyodo cited Mr Nikai as saying.

Speaking to reporters after a meeting with Mr Suga, Mr Nikai urged the government to deploy "bold" spending from its emergency budget reserves as part of an economic stimulus package, which he was tasked with crafting by the prime minister.

Mr Kono and Mr Ishiba, who have yet to declare if they will run in the Sept 29 contest, were backed by 16 per cent of respondents when asked by the Nikkei who would be the best as the new LDP leader.

Mr Suga, who has said he would fight to stay in his post, came in fourth at 11 per cent, two points behind the low-key former foreign minister Fumio Kishida, 64, who declared his candidacy in a policy speech last Thursday.

The winner is virtually assured of being prime minister because of the LDP's majority in the Lower House of Parliament.

Popularity ratings are being closely watched because the new chief must lead the party to a general election by Nov 28, but which is expected earlier.

REUTERS