国际英语资讯:Majority of Japanese opposed to Abes plan to call snap election: media poll

TOKYO, Sept. 24 -- Over 60 percent of Japanese are opposed to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's reported plan to dissolve the lower house of parliament and call a snap general election, according to a recent survey by Japan's Kyodo News.

According to the survey conducted over the weekend by Kyodo News, 64.3 percent of the respondents said they do not support the prime minister's reported plan to call a snap election, while 23.7 percent expressed support.

Meanwhile, 27.0 percent said they would still vote for Abe's ruling Liberal Democratic Party in the possible general election, 8.0 percent said they would vote for the main opposition Democratic Party, while 42.2 percent said they have not made their decision yet.

Altogether 78.8 percent of the respondents said they are not satisfied with the government's explanation on the recent favoritism scandals implicating the prime minister and school operator Moritomo Gakuen and Kake Educational Institution, while only 13.8 percent said the opposite.

Abe's cabinet has formally announced the ruling coalition's plan to convene an extraordinary Diet session on Sept. 28, the outset of which will see Abe dissolve the lower house for a snap election, according to local reports.

The move, however, has drawn staunch criticism from opposition parties, which accused the prime minister of trying to stay in power while suppressing parliamentary debate on a number of contentious issues, including the favoritism scandals, by calling a snap election without making policy speech.

Abe has been under fire for his connection with nationalist private school operator Moritomo Gakuen, which purchased a piece of state-owned land in Osaka for only a fraction of the market price.

He has also been accused of using his influence to make the government choose Kake Educational Institution, run by a close friend of Abe's, to open a new department in a government-designated special economic zone.