Scandals threaten Japanese PM Abe’s grip on power

Shinzo Abe is fighting for his future as Japan’s prime minister as scandals drag his government’s popularity close to what political observers describe as “death zone” levels. Apart from clouding Abe’s hopes of winning another term as leader of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) when a vote is held next year, the polling slump also undermines his long-running push to revise Japan’s war-renouncing constitution, the Guardian reports. Abe, who returned to the prime ministership four and a half years ago, was long seen as a steady hand whose position appeared unassailable – so much so that the LDP changed its rules to allow Abe the freedom to seek a third consecutive three-year term at the helm of the party.ScandalsThe first scandal centred on a cut-price land deal between the finance ministry and a nationalist school group known as Moritomo Gakuen. The second related to the approval of a veterinary department of a private university headed by his friend, Kotaro Kake. Abe has repeatedly denied personal involvement, but polls showed voters doubted his explanations, especially after leaked education ministry documents mentioned the involvement of “a top-level official of the prime minister’s office” in the vet school story. Abe attempted to show humility in a parliamentary hearing this week by acknowledging it was “natural for the public to sceptically view the issue” because it involved his friend. “I lacked the perspective,” he said. Experts doubt that Abe’s contrition, combined with a planned cabinet reshuffle next week, will do much to reverse his sagging fortunes. Last weekend a poll by the Mainichi newspaper showed the Abe cabinet’s approval rating had plummeted 10 points for a second straight month to 26%, the lowest since he returned to power in 2012. The paper pointed out several previous prime ministers – including Abe during his first short stint – had left office between one and nine months after hitting the 20s. University of Tokyo professor Yu Uchiyama rated Abe’s problems as “considerably serious”, with his internal critics becoming increasingly outspoken. Abe seemed to be so strong that few LDP politicians tried to challenge him until several months ago,” Uchiyama said. “As the LDP is in disarray now, more and more politicians, especially factional leaders, are starting to challenge Abe.”