TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Just over half of Japan's prefectural governors do not believe that Prime Minister Naoto Kan has done well in handling the March 11 earthquake, tsunami and ensuing nuclear crisis, a Kyodo News survey showed Friday.
Of 46 governors of Japan's 47 prefectures surveyed since mid-April, 25 said Kan has done poorly in leading disaster relief efforts, citing his inability to meet the changing needs of survivors in affected areas and the lack of a sense of determination in his action, among other reasons.
The governor of Fukushima Prefecture did not take part in the survey, saying he had to concentrate on the response to the natural calamities and the crisis at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.
The largest percentage of governors did not approve of the prime minister's handling of the nuclear crisis, with 30 mostly complaining about how the central government released information on the nuclear plant.
The governor of Akita Prefecture said the government was late in lifting the severity level of the crisis at the Fukushima plant to the highest level of 7 on an international scale, while the Oita governor complained that bad news should be made public more promptly.
Only six prefectural heads approved of Kan's response to the disaster, with the Saitama governor saying that the prime minister's decision to dispatch around 100,000 Self-Defense Forces personnel was appropriate.
Only two governors thought the prime minister had lived up to expectations in dealing with the nuclear crisis.
Asked how they would respond to a request to newly build or expand nuclear power facilities, nine governors said their basic stance is to refuse, while five said it is completely unacceptable.
Governors who did not say that freezing or scaling down existing nuclear power plants is necessary still suggested that certain changes are needed, with some calling for a review of safety standards and public discussion of the issue.
In reference to securing funds for reconstruction, some governors favored new government bond issuance and the cancellation of some of the ruling Democratic Party of Japan's campaign pledges, while a small number supported tax hikes.
The survey also found that 45 governors plan or have already started to review local disaster prevention programs, with many considering enhanced ways to protect against tsunami and address problems at nuclear plants.
(Mainichi Japan) April 30, 2011
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