Asahi poll: Momentum shifts toward LDP

09/01/2005 The Asahi Shimbun

Voter support appears to be swinging back more in favor of the Liberal Democratic Party, according to the latest nationwide poll conducted by The Asahi Shimbun.

Conducted on Monday and Tuesday, it was the fifth such survey ahead of the Sept. 11 Lower House election. Respondents were selected at random by telephone. Valid responses were received from 1,084 voters.

Voters were again asked which party they would vote for in the proportional representation constituency. The LDP was mentioned by 29 percent, up from 24 percent in the previous Aug. 25-26 poll. In comparison, 14 percent said they would vote for Minshuto (Democratic Party of Japan), down from 16 percent in the previous poll.

When asked which party they would vote for in single-seat districts, 34 percent said the LDP, up 5 percentage points, and 13 percent said Minshuto, down 5 percentage points. The results showed the LDP is outdoing Minshuto in urban areas even as the opposition party is closing in on the ruling party in rural regions.

The poll showed that 50 percent of respondents were "very interested" in the election.

In 15 major cities, large percentages of people said they would vote for the LDP in the proportional representation constituency. The urban support rate was 33 percent, compared with 24 percent (Aug. 25-26); 26 percent (Aug. 22-23); 32 percent (Aug. 18-19); and 35 percent (Aug. 15-17).

The numbers were much higher than for Minshuto, which stood at 11 percent, 13 percent, 9 percent, 12 percent and 17 percent, for urban areas in the respective polls.

In rural municipalities, meanwhile, rates for planned LDP votes stood at 22 percent, 24 percent, 28 percent, 23 percent and 28 percent, in the respective polls. For Minshuto, the corresponding rates were 19 percent, 16 percent, 13 percent, 19 percent and 19 percent.