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Pressure grows on Abe; opposition boycott Diet debates

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Pressure mounted Tuesday on Prime Minister Shinzo Abe over a ballooning cronyism and cover-up scandal, as a new poll showed his support at the lowest level since his re-election in October. Abe and his finance minister, Taro Aso, have been on the ropes in recent days following revelations
Pressure mounted Tuesday on Prime Minister Shinzo Abe over a ballooning cronyism and cover-up scandal, as a new poll showed his support at the lowest level since his re-election in October.
Abe and his finance minister, Taro Aso, have been on the ropes in recent days following revelations that key documents relating to a controversial land sale were doctored before being sent to MPs.
Aso was forced to fend off opposition calls to resign on Monday after admitting his ministry altered 14 sets of documents sent to parliament.
The scandal surrounds the 2016 sale of state-owned land to a nationalist operator of schools who claims ties to Abe and his wife Akie.
The sale was clinched at a price well below market value amid allegations that the high-level connections helped grease the deal.
Abe and Aso both apologised “deeply” over the affair amid signs the PM’s popularity is suffering six months before he stands for re-election as head of the ruling LDP party.
A new poll released by public broadcaster NHK Tuesday showed support for the Abe government dropped to the lowest since he won a resounding re-election in October.

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