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WORLD / Asia-Pacific
Next PM faces parliament fight, policy blues
(Agencies)
Updated: 2007-09-22 11:42
Yasuo Fukuda looks likely to win the leadership of Japan's ruling party
on Sunday and become the nation's next prime minister, a job in which he
will face a divided parliament and conflicting policy pressures.
Former Chief Cabinet Secretary Yasuo Fukuda (L) and former Foreign
Minister Taro Aso, candidates for the Prime Minister post, shake hands
after their debate in Tokyo September 21, 2007. [Reuters]
Seen as an experienced moderate who can avoid the missteps that plagued
outgoing Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, the bespectacled Fukuda has won the
backing of major factions in the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP)
and is firm favorite to win the job.
But a media report on Friday linking a local LDP branch headed by Fukuda
to small donations from a business with ties to a pro-DPRK (Democratic
People's Republic of Korea) group in Japan could affect the race against
former Foreign Minister Taro Aso, political analysts said.
The victor in the leadership race is sure to become prime minister by
virtue of the ruling coalition's huge majority in parliament's lower
house.
But the next prime minister faces a divided parliament, where combative
opposition parties control the upper house, as well as dueling pressures
to help out those left behind by recent economic reforms while also
reining in a huge public debt.
"Politics is the art of the possible and unfortunately, the possibilities
are very limited," said Jesper Koll, president of investment advisory
firm Tantallon Research Japan.
"That's the real political risk - not getting things done."
Kyodo news agency reported that an LDP branch headed by Fukuda, 71, had
received $1,740 in donations from a pachinko pin-ball game firm with ties
to the General Association of Korean Residents in Japan (Chongryon).
It was unclear if Fukuda had been aware of the donations several years
ago from the pachinko firm.
Fukuda's aides declined to comment but the Mainichi newspaper quoted his
office as saying it had not checked the nationality of the donor and now
planned to return the money.
Fukuda has adopted a softer stance toward normalizing ties with the DPRK,
and the rival candidates clashed on the topic at a news conference on
Friday, with Aso, 67, stressing "pressure was needed" and Fukuda calling
for a strategy that balanced pressure with dialogue.
Abe, who turned 53 on Friday, suddenly announced his resignation last
week after a year in office during which he improved ties with China but
was plagued by scandals and gaffes by his ministers that contributed to a
humiliating election rout in July, handing control of the upper house to
the opposition.
The hawkish Aso - a fan of "manga" comic books who casts himself as a
strong leader - saw his early lead in the LDP race evaporate suddenly,
partly because of his close ties to Abe.
"Aso is part of the old Abe regime. No matter how much he jokes and talks
about 'manga', he's still no change," said Chuo University political
science professor Steven Reed.
"With Fukuda, going back to the old ways looks like change."
Both Fukuda and Aso have pledged to pay more heed to those left behind by
economic reforms begun under Abe's predecessor, Junichiro Koizumi, whose
cuts in wasteful public works spending won plaudits from many voters but
angered traditional LDP backers in rural areas.
Abe's conservative agenda including a bolder global security role for
Japan and more patriotism in schools will almost certainly take a back
seat under the next Japanese leader.
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