In Japan, even fans of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe want him to step down

His approval ratings have been shrinking, amid political scandals and perceptions of the government’s poor response to the coronavirus pandemic

For some of his own supporters, it is simply time for a change after a record seven years and six months with Abe at the helm

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Time to say sayonara? A poll says only 19 per cent of voters want Shinzo Abe to have a fourth term. Photo: AP

Published: 7:00am, 25 Jun 2020Updated: 9:48pm, 25 Jun 2020

Two in three voters in Japan want Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to step down after his third term, a poll has revealed, amid rumours the ruling Liberal Democratic Party is considering changing its rules to allow Abe to serve an unprecedented fourth term.

The survey, conducted by the left-leaning Asahi newspaper, had 2,065 respondents contacted randomly by phone. Only 19 per cent said they wanted Abe to govern beyond the end of his term in September 2021, down from 25 per cent in February, with even LDP supporters saying it is time for him to go.

Analysts point out that Abe’s administration has been sliding in public opinion polls in recent weeks, although a poll by the Mainichi newspaper at the weekend did give the leader some respite, with a nine-point increase in his support rate to 36 per cent.

The government has come in for criticism, with its poor handling of the coronavirus pandemic compounded by a number of political scandals. And with Abe having served a record seven years and 181 days as prime minister as of today, some voters say it is simply time for a change.

Mitsue Nagasaku, a homemaker from Yokohama who voted for the LDP’s political ally, Komeito, in the last election, has been supportive of 65-year-old Abe as prime minister, but said he appeared to be running out of steam.

“He is looking tired and everyone knows that he stepped down the first time he was prime minister because he was ill,” Nagasaku said, referring to Abe’s resignation in September 2007 after 366 days in office due to a chronic stomach complaint.

“I also think he has done as much as he can, and that a new person might have more energy to deal with things like the economy and Covid-19,” she said.