The government of Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi continues to face greater difficulties than perhaps ever before. I previously criticized his Cabinet as beset with troubles, both at home and abroad, as a result of scandals involving lawmaker Muneo Suzuki, former Liberal Democratic Party secretary general Koichi Kato and former Upper House president Yutaka Inoue, as well as the abortive attempt by North Korean asylum seekers to take refuge on the grounds of the Japanese Consulate General in Shenyang, China, on May 8.
A month later, both the ruling LDP and the government have lost the ability to act cohesively and prevent deliberations in the National Diet from straying off course.
Although I would not say the downfall of the Koizumi government is imminent, it appears to be close to disaster, as its public-approval rating, which remained at about 80 percent for nine months from its inception in April last year through January, has fallen to around 40 percent. An even greater percentage now expresses disapproval.