Reuters surveyed firms on the coming election in Japan (October 22)
- Japan Inc wants Abe election win, but smaller majority
- Two-thirds of Japanese firms want Abe to stay, with less power
- Companies wary of overconcentration of power after Oct. 22 poll
- Many oppose delay to budget balancing, back 2019 sales tax hike
- Revising pacifist constitution seen as low priority
More:
- The survey suggests corporations want political stability but don't want to hand Abe a landslide victory for fear he might become complacent about reviving the economy
- Many companies in the survey expressed concern that a big election win would encourage Abe to invest his energy in a long-held ambition to revise Japan's pacifist constitution, at the expense of economic policy
- 94 percent of companies hoped Abe's coalition would win the election
- 48 percent wanted his bloc to obtain a smaller majority
- 20 percent hoped the ruling camp would retain the 323 seats it held before the lower house was dissolved last month
- Seven percent wanted the ruling bloc to win more seats
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The corporate survey was conducted Sept 28 to Oct 12
- conducted for Reuters by Nikkei Research
- polled 548 big and mid-sized firms
- Around 230 companies answered the questions on the outlook for the election and policies
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Election is Sunday
- For the 465-member lower house
- Current polling has Abe's coalition on around 300 seats
