The approval rate for Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba's cabinet has dropped to 38.9 percent, while the disapproval rate rose to 57.3 percent, according to the latest poll released on Sunday by the Japanese News Network (JNN), a commercial television network run by TBS Television.
The poll shows that the approval rate for the Ishiba cabinet has dropped by 12.7 percentage points from the previous month to 38.9 percent, while the disapproval rate rising by 13.8 percentage points from last month to 57.3 percent.
Following Japan's general election on October 27, the ruling coalition of Ishiba's Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and its partner Komeito fell short of the majority threshold, amid declining public trust exacerbated by its funds scandal.
The LDP and Komeito got a total of 215 of the 465 seats in the powerful chamber of parliament, below the 233 seats needed for the majority. The LDP alone won 191 seats, much less than the 247 seats it held prior to the election.
In contrast, the main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party significantly increased its representation, rising from 98 seats before the election to 148 seats.
The result is largely in line with media forecasts as public outrage over the LDP's funding scandal persisted. The last time when the coalition lost a majority was in 2009.
At the end of last year, the LDP was exposed for the slush funds scandal in which the party's factions set up secret funds and took kickbacks. Since then, its approval rate has suffered a setback, with scarcely any improvement.
Disapproval rate for Japan's Ishiba cabinet rises to 57.3 pct: poll
