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ASAHI SHIMBUN SEPTEMBER 2007 OPINION POLLS - RESIGNATION OF PRIME MINISTER ABE (P07-25)

Asahi Shimbun September 2007 Opinion Polls - Resignation of Prime Minister Abe

Dates Conducted

September 13, 2007

Released

September 14, 2007

Methodology

The poll was conducted by telephone on September 13, 2007, of voters from across Japan, whose telephone numbers were selected by a computer at random. Subjects were selected using a three-stage random sampling method (the Asahi RDD). The total number of those polled was 1029, with a 62% response rate.

Key Issues

Resignation of Prime Minister Abe
Continued operations by the Self Defense Forces in the Indian Ocean
Dissolution of House of Representatives, new election
Preferences for new prime minister

Disclaimer

The Mansfield Foundation is responsible for the translation of this Asahi Shimbun poll, subject to the Mansfield Foundation Terms of Use

Q1. Prime Minister Abe has announced his intention to resign. Do you think that it is a good thing that Mr. Abe is resigning as prime minister, or not?

Good thing	51%
Not a good thing	29%

Q2. Prime Minister Abe announced his intention to resign during the same day that he answered questions in the Diet, and two days after he had delivered a policy speech to the Diet. Do you feel that the timing of his announcement was irresponsible, or not?

Irresponsible	70%
Not irresponsible	22%

Q3. Did Prime Minister Abe’s announcement that he intends to resign surprise you, or not?

Surprised	67%
Not surprised	30%

Q4. Mr. Abe served as prime minister for approximately one year. To what extent do you positively evaluate his accomplishments? (Please select one.)

Very positively	4%
Somewhat positively	33%
Not very positively	45%
Not at all positively	15%

Q5. Warships from several countries, including the United States, are deployed in the Indian Ocean, to combat terrorist groups in Afghanistan. The legislation that allows the Self Defense Forces to support coalition warships, known as the Anti-Terrorism Special Measures Act, will expire on November 1. The government intends to submit a new bill to the Diet to allow the operations to continue, but the Democratic Party of Japan is opposed to it. Are you in favor of continued operations by the Self Defense Forces in the Indian Ocean, or not?

In favor	35%
Opposed	45%

Q6. As one of his reasons for the announcement of his resignation, Prime Minister Abe provided the explanation that he had decided that “it was necessary, in order to achieve a breakthrough” that would allow continued Self Defense Forces operations in the Indian Ocean. Are you convinced by this explanation, or not?

Convinced	11%
Not convinced	75%

Q7. Who do you think would be a good choice for the next prime minister? Please select any one member of the current Diet.

Taro Aso	14%
Yasuo Fukuda	13%
Junichiro Koizumi	11%
Ichiro Ozawa	6%
Yoichi Masuzoe	2%
Sadakazu Tanigaki	2%
Nobutaka Machimura	1%
Other politician	2%
No answer/do not know	49%

Q8. Which political party do you currently support? (Numbers in parentheses are the results of a poll conducted on August 27 and 28, 2007.)

Liberal Democratic Party	30%(25)
Democratic Party of Japan	28%(32)
Komeito	3%(3)
Japan Communist Party	2%(3)
Social Democratic Party	1%(1)
The People's New Party	0%(0)
The New Party of Japan	0%(0)
Others	0%(1)
Do not support any party	30%(29)
No answer/do not know	6%(6)

Q9. Do you think that the House of Representatives should be dissolved and a general election held as soon as possible? Or do you think that there is no need to rush? (Numbers in parentheses are results from a poll conducted on July 30 and 31, 2007.)

As soon as possible	50%(39)
No need to rush	43%(54)

Q10. Do you think that it is a good thing for the administration to be composed mostly of LDP members? Or do you think that there should be a change over to an administration composed primarily of DPJ members? (The numbers in parentheses are the results from a poll conducted on July 21 and 22, 2007.)

Composed mostly of LDP members	33%(30)
Change to mostly DPJ members	41%(46)