Voter support for Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama and his party has fallen due to a funding scandal linked to his powerful No 2 party executive, three media surveys showed on Monday, raising the risk of a policy stalemate. Opposition parties have threatened to boycott parliamentary debate on an extra budget to prop up the economy if the ruling Democratic Party dodges questions about the scandal ensnaring its secretary-general, Ichiro Ozawa.

For the first time since Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama took office in September, more voters disapprove of his government than support it, a survey by Kyodo news agency showed. Support for Hatoyama's cabinet, which had already slid due to voters' doubts about his leadership, slipped to 41.5 percent, falling below the disapproval rating of 44.1 percent. That was down from 50.8 percent the previous month and from initial highs above 70 percent. Surveys by the Asahi and Yomiuri newspapers also showed voter support for Hatoyama's government has dropped to 42 and 45 percent, respectively, nearing the disapproval ratings.

Copyright Reuters, 2010