TOKYO (Thomson Financial) - Public support for Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe slid further in the wake of his defence minister's resignation, which came just weeks ahead of a key election, a poll showed on Friday.
The approval rating for his cabinet fell by 2.4 points to 32 percent from late last month, with the disapproval rating up from 51.8 percent to 53.9 percent, according to an opinion poll conducted by the Yomiuri Shimbun newspaper.
The survey was carried out by the mass-circulation daily from Tuesday through Thursday covering 1,664 eligible voters of whom 63 percent responded validly.
The poll showed that 81.7 percent said it was "natural" for Fumio Kyuma to resign as defence minister over his remarks appearing to condone the US atomic bombing of Japan in 1945.
Kyuma was the third minister to leave Abe's cabinet since he took office in September.
Abe said Thursday he was responsible for appointing the three ministers but refrained from saying whether he was ready to step down if his party suffers a defeat in the July 29 elections.
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