Support for Japan PM stays high

JAPAN: Support for Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama remains high at over 70 percent, newspaper polls showed on Monday, as his Democratic Party faces the challenge of funding key campaign pledges a month after taking power.

In a survey by the Nikkei business daily, 73 percent of respondents said they support Hatoyama's cabinet, down 2 points from the last survey in September. A Mainichi newspaper poll also showed support at 72 percent, down 5 points from last month.

The polls come as Hatoyama tackles the tough task of funding ambitious spending programmes when tax revenues are falling without raising fears about further inflating Japan's already huge public debt, the biggest among advanced nations.

Reuters