Abe Denies Cronyism Allegations as Support Continues to Fall

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe sought to stem a slide in his popularity in a special parliamentary hearing Monday, reiterating his denials of cronyism, apologizing for disparaging remarks about opponents and vowing to focus on the economy.

Approval for Abe’s cabinet slumped again in three media polls conducted over the weekend. His support was at 26 percent, the lowest since he took office in 2012, in a poll conducted by the Mainichi newspaper, while disapproval was more than twice as high at 56 percent. Separate surveys by the Nikkei newspaper and FNN put support at 39 percent and 35 percent respectively.