Japan opposition LDP remains election favorite

TOKYO - Japan's opposition Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) kept its clear lead ahead of a December election, opinion polls showed on Monday, with the hawkish Japan Restoration Party (JRP) led by a nationalist ex-Tokyo governor placing second.

The Yomiuri daily poll showed that 25 percent of voters would opt for the LDP, which is calling for aggressive monetary steps to end deflation, well ahead of the ruling Democratic Party of Japan's (DPJ) 10 percent support.

Fourteen percent of voters planned to vote for the new Japan Restoration Party, led by 80-year-old Shintaro Ishihara and popular Osaka Mayor Toru Hashimoto.

Ishihara, the outspoken former Tokyo governor who sparked a territorial spat with China over a group of islets, was seen as more suitable to lead the government than the Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda, according to Yomiuri's survey.

But LDP opposition leader Shinzo Abe kept his individual lead with 29 percent of voter support.

The election is expected to usher in a period of confusing coalition politics because of the emergence of new parties and because whoever wins will still lack a majority in parliament's upper house, which can block bills.

The election for parliament's powerful lower house is unlikely to fix a policy stalemate that has plagued Japan as it struggles with an ageing population, a declining manufacturing sector and the emerging power of China.

With many voters discontented with the Japanese politics, 37 percent of respondents to the Yomiuri poll said they were undecided how they would vote. Surveys by other media, the Asahi newspaper and Kyodo news agency, showed similar results.

The DPJ swept to power in 2009 ending more than a half a century of nearly non-stop LDP rule. But its support slumped over what voters saw as broken promises, a confused response to last year's tsunami and nuclear crisis, and Noda's unpopular policies such as a tax hike and the restart of nuclear reactors.

Following is a table based on media polls asking which party voters would choose in the proportional representation stage of the lower house election.

POLL ? ? ? ? ? DATE ? ? ? ? ?DPJ ? ? ?LDP ? ? ?RESTORATION

Asahi ? ? ? ? ?Nov 26 ? ? ? ?13 ? ? ? 23 ? ? ? ?9 ?

Yomiuri ? ? ? ?Nov 26 ? ? ? ?10 ? ? ? 25 ? ? ? 14

Kyodo ? ? ? ? ?Nov 25????????8.4 ? ? 18.7 ? ? 10.3

Nikkei ? ? ? ? Nov 19 ? ? ? ?16 ? ? ? 25 ? ? ? 11

Asahi ? ? ? ? ?Nov 19 ? ? ? ?15 ? ? ? 22 ? ? ? ?6

Mainichi ? ? ? Nov 19 ? ? ? ?11 ? ? ? 17 ? ? ? 10

Yomiuri ? ? ? ?Nov 18 ? ? ? ?13 ? ? ? 26 ? ? ? ?8 ?

Asahi ? ? ? ? ?Nov 17 ? ? ? ?16 ? ? ? 23 ? ? ? ?4

Asahi ? ? ? ? ?Nov 13 ? ? ? ?12 ? ? ? 29 ? ? ? ?5 ?

Yomiuri ? ? ? ?Nov 5 ? ? ? ? 10 ? ? ? 25 ? ? ? 12

Kyodo ? ? ? ? ?Nov 4 ? ? ? ? 12.1 ? ? 27.7 ? ? 10.8

Nikkei ? ? ? ? Oct 29 ? ? ? ?11 ? ? ? 27 ? ? ? 13 ?

Asahi ? ? ? ? ?Oct 22 ? ? ? ?13 ? ? ? 36 ? ? ? ?3 ? ?

Kyodo ? ? ? ? ?Oct 3 ? ? ? ? 12.3 ? ? 31.3 ? ? 13.9 ?

Yomiuri ? ? ? ?Oct 3 ? ? ? ? 18 ? ? ? 36 ? ? ? 13 ? ? ?

Asahi ? ? ? ? ?Oct 3 ? ? ? ? 17 ? ? ? 30 ? ? ? ?4 ?

Nikkei ? ? ? ? Sept 28 ? ? ? 14 ? ? ? 35 ? ? ? 12 ? ? ?

Asahi ? ? ? ? ?Sept 11 ? ? ? 15 ? ? ? 23 ? ? ? ?5 ? ? ?

Kyodo ? ? ? ? ?Sept 2 ? ? ? ?12.4 ? ? 22.2 ? ? 17.6 ?

Yomiuri ? ? ? ?Aug 13 ? ? ? ?11 ? ? ? 21 ? ? ? 16 ? ?

Mainichi ? ? ? Aug 13 ? ? ? ?14 ? ? ? 21 ? ? ? N.A. ? ?

Kyodo ? ? ? ? ?Aug 12 ? ? ? ?14.3 ? ? 23.5 ? ? 10.7 ? ?

Asahi ? ? ? ? ?Aug 6 ? ? ? ? 13 ? ? ? 23 ? ? ? N.A. ?

Yomiuri ? ? ? ?July 16 ? ? ? 14 ? ? ? 18 ? ? ? N.A. ? ?

Kyodo ? ? ? ? ?July 15 ? ? ? 14.1 ? ? 19.2 ? ? 13.2 ? ?

Asahi ? ? ? ? ?July 10 ? ? ? 14 ? ? ? 22 ? ? ? N.A.