TOKYO: Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s sky-high poll numbers have slipped as voters question how she intends to pay for her recent tax-cut pledge, according to media surveys released on Monday (Jan 26).
The approval rating for the nationalist leader’s government fell to 67 per cent from 75 per cent in December, falling “below 70 per cent for the first time since she took office last October”, according to a weekend survey by the Nikkei newspaper.
The dip came as Takaichi faced criticism for abruptly calling a snap election for Feb 8, just over a year after the last lower-house election in October 2024 for a four-year term.
On Monday, she will join opposition leaders for a televised panel discussion to debate their policies.
Takaichi, Japan’s first woman prime minister, says the election is necessary to see if people support her and her new coalition government.
After her appointment three months ago, Takaichi had to scramble to form a coalition between her ruling Liberal Democratic Party and the Japan Innovation Party (JIP) to gain a slim majority in the powerful lower house.
A possible election win would also allow her to claim a stronger mandate even though the LDP itself is battling low approval ratings and a string of scandals.
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