JAPAN: Japanese prime minister Junichiro Koizumi's support rating has risen 4.7 percentage points over last month, according to a media survey conducted after he decided to seek a new mandate for reforms.
Mr Koizumi called a snap Lower House election on Monday after 22 members of his own party voted in the Upper House to help defeat bills to privatise Japan Post, a behemoth with $3 trillion in assets, including savings and insurance businesses.
A Kyodo news agency poll conducted on Monday and yesterday showed support for his cabinet rising to 47.3 per cent from 42.6 per cent in July.
Mr Koizumi said on Monday he would step down if his Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and junior coalition partner New Komeito failed to win a Lower House majority in the September 11th election.
Thirty-seven LDP rebels had also voted against the bills on Monday in the Lower House, while another 14 abstained or absented themselves from the vote.
Asked by reporters what he thought of the latest poll, Mr Koizumi said only: "Support ratings sometimes rise and sometimes they fall."
Kyodo said 51.6 per cent of respondents said they supported privatisation of postal services, 31.1 per cent were opposed and 17.3 per cent said they were unsure or gave no reply.
Kyodo said 54.4 per cent approved of Koizumi's decision to call a snap election while 35 per cent disapproved.
Asked which party's candidate they would vote for, 37.4 per cent said they would vote for the LDP, compared to 22.8 per cent who preferred the main opposition Democratic Party.
Among the remaining respondents, 22.9 per cent were unsure or gave no reply, Kyodo said.
Another 8.0 per cent said they would vote for independent candidates, 3.4 per cent preferred the New Komeito party, 2.3 per cent preferred the Communist Party, and 1.4 per cent the Social Democratic Party.
Kyodo's survey, conducted by telephone, received valid responses from 1,014 eligible voters.
According to a separate opinion survey released by private broadcaster NTV yesterday, 54.0 per cent said they supported Koizumi staying in power after the election, while 36.3 per cent said they disapproved. The NTV survey was conducted by polling 300 people by phone. - (Reuters)