Japan PM resigns

[Da Ji]

Jun 2, 2010
Japan PM resigns

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Calls have built up in Mr Hatoyama's Democratic Party for him to step down to revive the party's fortunes ahead of an election for the upper house of parliament expected on July 11 that it must win to smooth policymaking. -- PHOTO: AP

TOKYO - UNPOPULAR Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama has formally announced his resignation, after a slide in the polls threatened his party's chances in an upcoming election. A party official says a new leader will be chosen on Friday.

Mr Hatoyama said ruling party kingpin Ichiro Ozawa would also resign from the party's No. 2 post. Calls have built up in Mr Hatoyama's Democratic Party for him to step down to revive the party's fortunes ahead of an election for the upper house of parliament expected on July 11 that it must win to smooth policymaking.

A new cabinet is expected to be formed next week according to a senior ruling Democratic Party lawmaker. With tears in his eyes, Mr Hatoyama told a party gathering both he and his party secretary-general Mr Ozawa would resign from their posts. Analysts have tipped outspoken Finance Minister Naoto Kan as the likely successor if Mr Hatoyama quits after just eight months on the job.

Mr Kan has in the past pressed the Bank of Japan to do more to fight deflation and has sounded more positive than Mr Hatoyama about raising the 5 per cent sales tax in the future to fund bulging social welfare costs.That stance would be welcomed by investors worried about Japan's huge public debt, which is nearly 200 per cent of GDP.

Political confusion, including the recent departure of a tiny leftist party from the ruling coalition, has distracted the government as it thrashes out a plan to cut huge public debt and a strategy to engineer growth despite a fast-ageing population. Mr Hatoyama will be Japan's fourth straight leader to quit after a year or less in office.

'Mr Hatoyama's resignation could cause delays in the scheduled releases this month of the government's growth strategies and fiscal discipline targets. Whoever replaces Mr Hatoyama would need to work them out before an upper house election, or else disappoint voters,' said Hirokata Kusaba, an economist at Mizuho Research Institute. The Nikkei stock average rose into positive territory after Mr Hatoyama announced his resignation while the yen weakened. -- REUTERS

 

[Da Ji]

POSSIBLE SUCCESSORS TO HATOYAMA

Naoto Kan, 63, Finance Minister Kan, who doubles as deputy prime minister, is widely tipped as the likely successor. He has long been a senior figure in the party, having worked with Mr Hatoyama and kingpin Ichiro Ozawa as the Democrats' top 'troika'.

Seiji Maehara, 48, Infrastructure and Transport Minister Maehara is a conservative security policy expert who has served as party leader and is hands-on with policies. Public approval for his stint in the cabinet has put him as number two on voters' lists of popular politicians.

Katsuya Okada, 56, Foreign Minister Okada, the son of a supermarket magnate and who enjoys a clean image, also once served as party leader and is more open than Mr Hatoyama to raising the 5 per cent consumption tax.

Yoshito Sengoku, 64, Mr Sengoku, the national strategy minister, has stressed the need for fiscal restraint and has openly called for debate on raising the consumption tax.

Kazuhiro Haraguchi, 50, Internal Affairs Minister Haraguchi, a frequent guest on TV talk shows, has indicated that he is against debating an increase in the consumption tax before reviving the economy.


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[Da Ji]

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'REVOLVING DOOR' PRIME MINISTERS

Yoshiro Mori (April 2000-April 2001) - Mr Mori, a political veteran but a policy novice, was picked by four barons in the then-ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) in a backroom deal to replace Keizo Obuchi, who died of a stroke.

Junichiro Koizumi (April 2001-Sept 2006) - Dubbed a maverick for his outspoken ways, Mr Koizumi appealed to the public with calls for reform and won resounding support from rank-and-file party members afraid the LDP was headed for a thrashing in an upper house election.

Shinzo Abe (Sept 2006-Sept 2007) - Mr Abe was initially popular with voters for his fresh image as Japan's first prime minister born after World War Two and his tough stance on North Korea, but his ratings soon crumbled on gaffes and scandals in his cabinet.

Yasuo Fukuda (Sept 2007-Sept 2008) - Mr Fukuda won support from rank-and-file LDP members who sought political stability after Mr Abe, but he struggled to make headway on policies as opposition parties used their majority in the upper house to stall legislation.

Taro Aso (Sept 2008-Sept 2009) - A conservative and a fan of manga comic books, Mr Aso was chosen by the LDP to boost the party's election chances but he too saw his ratings evaporate as policies stalled in parliament and the economy took a hit from the global financial crisis.


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[lauhumku]

Japan PM, cabinet resign


Jun 4, 2010
Japan PM, cabinet resign

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Mr Hatoyama formally resigned along with his cabinet Friday, two days after declaring he would step down, ahead of a vote for his successor as party chief and premier. -- PHOTO: AFP

<!-- story content : start --> TOKYO - JAPAN'S Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama formally resigned along with his cabinet Friday, two days after declaring he would step down, ahead of a vote for his successor as party chief and premier. Finance Minister Naoto Kan, a deputy premier, was seen as the front runner to take over as prime minister of the world's second-largest economy, despite a late challenge for the post.

If Friday's leadership vote follows expectations, Kan will take over from Mr Hatoyama, who resigned Wednesday in the wake of a funding scandal and a damaging dispute over a US air base. Mr Kan hopes to succeed Mr Hatoyama as president of the centre-left Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) and then, after a parliamentary vote, as prime minister. -- AFP

 

[lauhumku]

Kan elected Japan PM


Jun 4, 2010
Kan elected Japan PM

<!-- by line --> By Kwan Weng Kin, Japan Correspondent
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Mr Kan reacts after winning the Democratic Party of Japan party election. -- PHOTO: REUTERS

TOKYO - JAPAN'S lower house of parliament on Friday voted in former finance minister Naoto Kan as prime minister, replacing Yukio Hatoyama who resigned for mishandling a dispute over a US base. Mr Kan was set to become prime minister of Asia's biggest economy after he won the presidency of the ruling centre-left Democratic Party of Japan earlier on Friday.

Mr Kan, who was also a deputy premier in the previous cabinet, scored 291 out of 420 party lawmakers' valid votes against 129 for the only other candidate, little-known Osaka lower house legislator Shinji Tarutoko. The upper house will vote later, but the result is largely ceremonial because the more powerful lower house can override its decision if needed. -- AFP. AP

 

[Yoshitsune Minamoto]

Kan names new cabinet


Jun 8, 2010
Kan names new cabinet

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Japan's new chief Cabinet secretary Yoshito Sengoku announces the list of the new Prime Minister Naoto Kan's cabinet. -- AFP

TOKYO - JAPAN'S new Prime Minister Naoto Kan on Tuesday named his cabinet, keeping 11 of 17 previous ministers and appointing fiscal hawk Yoshihiko Noda as finance minister. Key figures from the previous administration of Yukio Hatoyama stayed in their posts, including Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada, Defence Minister Toshimi Kitazawa and Transport Minister Seiji Maehara.

The 63-year-old Kan was deputy prime minister and finance minister in the previous cabinet. Noda, Kan?s former deputy, takes over the finance ministry as pressure mounts to revive the world?s second-biggest economy and to slash Japan?s public debt, which is nearly twice the country?s gross domestic product. Reading out the cabinet names was Yoshito Sengoku, who was state minister for formulating national strategy, and who became Kan's right-hand man and chief press spokesman as chief cabinet secretary.

'Prime Minister Kan has appointed the ministers mindful of the need to form a government with professionalism, very clean politics and ability to govern,' Sengoku said. 'I regard this cabinet as young, fresh and enthusiastic about their jobs.' The cabinet will be formally inaugurated at a palace ceremony with Emperor Akihito in the evening. Kan was to hold his first news conference as premier before then, at 0800 GMT at the prime minister?s office. -- AFP