With just days left until Sunday’s Upper House election, Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and his Liberal Democratic Party are facing bad media poll numbers that suggest the ruling bloc may be at risk of losing its majority.
An NHK poll released Monday showed Ishiba’s approval rating at 31% compared to a June poll of 39%. Support for the LDP stood at 24%, down from 31.6% last month.
If the ruling coalition — the LDP and its junior partner Komeito — loses its Upper House majority, Ishiba would face internal party pressure to resign and kickstart discussions on whether the two-party minority government can convince an opposition party to join it. The ruling coalition also lost its majority in the more powerful Lower House last October.
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