TOKYO – Two out of three voters disapprove of Japanese prime minister Yukio Hatoyama and nearly 60 per cent think he should resign if he fails to resolve a feud over a US airbase by an end of May deadline, a poll showed yesterday.
The survey, which comes a day after tens of thousands gathered on Okinawa to demand the base be moved off the island, bodes ill for his ruling Democratic Party’s chances of winning a majority in an upcoming election for parliament’s upper house.
An inconclusive result in the summer election could hamper policymaking as the country struggles to maintain a fragile economic recovery while reining in its massive debt.
Mr Hatoyama got some good news yesterday when a judicial review panel had ruled that prosecutors were right not to indict the premier over misreporting of his political funds, for which an aide was convicted last week.
The panel is still reviewing whether Democratic Party secretary general Ichiro Ozawa should be charged over another scandal, and a finding against the ruling party kingpin would be a major blow to the prime minister.
The Nikkeinewspaper poll, conducted over the weekend, showed 68 per cent of voters disapprove of Mr Hatoyama, up 11 percentage points from the previous poll last month, partly on frustrations over the Futenma US base row.
The United States wants to push ahead with a 2006 agreement to move the base from a city centre to a less crowded part of the island, but Mr Hatoyama raised hopes during his election campaign last year that a new location could be found outside Okinawa.
Mr Hatoyama’s failure to find an option acceptable to both the US and the people of Okinawa has helped erode support already damaged by funding scandals within his party. – (Reuters)