TOKYO (XFN-ASIA) - The approval rating of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's government plunged 12 points from April to 41 pct, a record low for his cabinet, according to an opinion poll conducted by the Nikkei financial daily.
The survey also showed that the cabinet's disapproval rating rose 7 points to 44 pct, with detractors now outweighing supporters for the first time in two months.
The Nikkei said the steep drop comes as holes in public pension payment records looms as an issue in July's upper house election, on top of strong dissatisfaction about a lack of action on government cronyism.
The phone survey of voters in 1,496 households nationwide was conducted Friday through Sunday, with 61.3 pct replying.
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