ID :
20706
Tue, 09/23/2008 - 12:11
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/20706
The shortlink copeid
Ex-Foreign Minister Aso elected LDP chief to be Japan's new leader+
TOKYO, Sept. 22 Kyodo - Former Foreign Minister Taro Aso scored a landslide victory in the Liberal Democratic Party's presidential election Monday to succeed unpopular Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda, reflecting hope in the ruling party that his strong name recognition will bring victory in a House of Representatives election widely
expected to be called soon.
Vowing to defeat the main opposition Democratic Party of Japan, which is seen
as having its best chance ever of taking power, Aso, a 68-year-old outspoken
hawk and an advocate of increasing public spending, said after defeating his
four rivals that his major mission is to eliminate concerns over the nation's
flagging economy and people's lives.
''As I stand here now, I think this is the destiny of Taro Aso...And I think I
will only be able to fulfill my destiny by winning the (general) election,'' he
told a plenary meeting of party lawmakers at LDP headquarters in Tokyo.
Aso will be chosen as Japan's new prime minister in parliament on Wednesday,
given the LDP's majority in the lower house, which has the final say in
choosing the country's leader. A new Cabinet is expected to be launched the
same day.
The party election was held following Fukuda's resignation announcement on
Sept. 1, which made him the second Japanese prime minister to abruptly give up
the post after opposition parties secured control of the House of Councillors
in July last year.
Of the total of 527 votes -- 386 by LDP lawmakers and 141 by prefectural
chapter representatives -- Aso, who was making his fourth bid for the LDP
presidency, took an overwhelming 351, including 134 from the local chapters.
Economic and Fiscal Policy Minister Kaoru Yosano, 70, was second, taking 66
votes, while former Defense Minister Yuriko Koike, 56, the first-ever female
candidate in an LDP leadership race, took 46. Former LDP policy chief Nobuteru
Ishihara, 51, gained 37 and former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba, 51, got 25
votes. The remaining two votes were invalid.
Aso also called for LDP members to stand together in the run-up to the general
election, saying that any supposed ''confrontation'' among the five candidates
ended the moment the presidential race was over.
For the party leadership lineup, Aso named former Chief Cabinet Secretary
Hiroyuki Hosoda, 64, to replace him as LDP secretary general, while retaining
other executives.
As LDP president, Aso will serve Fukuda's remaining term through September
2009, while as prime minister he is likely to dissolve the lower house for a
general election by the end of October with the aim of demonstrating public
support for the LDP and breaking the deadlock in the divided Diet, in which the
government and ruling parties are having difficulties in enacting key laws.
But even if the ruling parties win a majority in the lower house in the general
election, they may well lose the two-thirds majority they secured in the
September 2005 election under then Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, leaving
the political stalemate unresolved.
In a sign of things to come, Aso took a swipe at the DPJ, saying the main
opposition ''is absolutely unable'' to become a party capable of implementing
policies to address various public concerns, and that DPJ President Ichiro
Ozawa's pledges may ''sound nice'' but it remains unclear how the funds to
realize them will be generated.
Aso also questioned Ozawa's U.N.-centered foreign policy, saying he thinks
Japan should not approve decisions by the United Nations if it does not serve
the national interest.
Ozawa, formally reelected as DPJ leader without facing any challengers Sunday
in stark contrast to the LDP presidential election, has said he will establish
a system to ensure stable incomes for farmers, provide monthly child-rearing
allowances of 26,000 yen per child, and make expressways toll free.
It was the first time since 1970 that five or more candidates had run in an LDP
presidential election, a contest that LDP members hoped would attract the
public by showing an ''open'' party image ahead of a general election.
But Aso's dominance was apparent from the beginning and the opposition parties
have called it a mere ''festive'' race. Pundits also say the election
highlighted Japan's ''political vacuum'' in the wake of the global financial
turmoil following the bankruptcy of Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. and a recent
problem over tainted imported rice.
During the 12-day campaign, Aso advocated an increase in public spending and
tax cuts to stimulate the economy. He also said he would ''not view with
hostility'' China's economic development, in an apparent effort to tone down
his hawkish image, while stressing the need to continue Japan's antiterrorism
refueling mission in the Indian Ocean.
At a press conference after becoming LDP president, Aso said he will need three
years to restore the economy and that ''thinking about raising the consumption
tax will come after that.''
While Aso did not elaborate on the timing of the dissolution of the lower
house, he urged the opposition parties to cooperate in enacting a supplementary
budget for the current fiscal year at the extraordinary Diet session to be
convened on Wednesday.
The budget is part of an emergency policy package designed to ease the negative
impact on the Japanese economy from spikes in energy and raw material costs.
''From a commonsense standpoint, it is hardly imaginable that they (the
opposition parties) will block the enactment of the extra budget,'' Aso said.
While Aso will seek to dissolve the lower house after enacting the budget,
voices remain strong in the ruling coalition of the LDP and the New Komeito
party that he should do so at the onset of the Diet session to take advantage
of public expectations of the new leader and to avoid giving the opposition
parties time to step up their attacks on them.
The next election should be held by next September when the current term of
lower house members expires.
While appointing Hosoda as secretary general, the No. 2 party position, Aso
retained Kosuke Hori, 73, as LDP Policy Research Council chairman, Takashi
Sasagawa, 72, as General Council chairman and Makoto Koga, 68, as Election
Strategy Council chairman. He also kept Tadamori Oshima, 62, as Diet affairs
chief.
A manga comic enthusiast and a former Olympic sharpshooter, Aso has a long
political lineage, being the grandson of former Prime Minister Shigeru Yoshida.
But he is also known for sparking controversies as a result of verbal gaffes.
expected to be called soon.
Vowing to defeat the main opposition Democratic Party of Japan, which is seen
as having its best chance ever of taking power, Aso, a 68-year-old outspoken
hawk and an advocate of increasing public spending, said after defeating his
four rivals that his major mission is to eliminate concerns over the nation's
flagging economy and people's lives.
''As I stand here now, I think this is the destiny of Taro Aso...And I think I
will only be able to fulfill my destiny by winning the (general) election,'' he
told a plenary meeting of party lawmakers at LDP headquarters in Tokyo.
Aso will be chosen as Japan's new prime minister in parliament on Wednesday,
given the LDP's majority in the lower house, which has the final say in
choosing the country's leader. A new Cabinet is expected to be launched the
same day.
The party election was held following Fukuda's resignation announcement on
Sept. 1, which made him the second Japanese prime minister to abruptly give up
the post after opposition parties secured control of the House of Councillors
in July last year.
Of the total of 527 votes -- 386 by LDP lawmakers and 141 by prefectural
chapter representatives -- Aso, who was making his fourth bid for the LDP
presidency, took an overwhelming 351, including 134 from the local chapters.
Economic and Fiscal Policy Minister Kaoru Yosano, 70, was second, taking 66
votes, while former Defense Minister Yuriko Koike, 56, the first-ever female
candidate in an LDP leadership race, took 46. Former LDP policy chief Nobuteru
Ishihara, 51, gained 37 and former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba, 51, got 25
votes. The remaining two votes were invalid.
Aso also called for LDP members to stand together in the run-up to the general
election, saying that any supposed ''confrontation'' among the five candidates
ended the moment the presidential race was over.
For the party leadership lineup, Aso named former Chief Cabinet Secretary
Hiroyuki Hosoda, 64, to replace him as LDP secretary general, while retaining
other executives.
As LDP president, Aso will serve Fukuda's remaining term through September
2009, while as prime minister he is likely to dissolve the lower house for a
general election by the end of October with the aim of demonstrating public
support for the LDP and breaking the deadlock in the divided Diet, in which the
government and ruling parties are having difficulties in enacting key laws.
But even if the ruling parties win a majority in the lower house in the general
election, they may well lose the two-thirds majority they secured in the
September 2005 election under then Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, leaving
the political stalemate unresolved.
In a sign of things to come, Aso took a swipe at the DPJ, saying the main
opposition ''is absolutely unable'' to become a party capable of implementing
policies to address various public concerns, and that DPJ President Ichiro
Ozawa's pledges may ''sound nice'' but it remains unclear how the funds to
realize them will be generated.
Aso also questioned Ozawa's U.N.-centered foreign policy, saying he thinks
Japan should not approve decisions by the United Nations if it does not serve
the national interest.
Ozawa, formally reelected as DPJ leader without facing any challengers Sunday
in stark contrast to the LDP presidential election, has said he will establish
a system to ensure stable incomes for farmers, provide monthly child-rearing
allowances of 26,000 yen per child, and make expressways toll free.
It was the first time since 1970 that five or more candidates had run in an LDP
presidential election, a contest that LDP members hoped would attract the
public by showing an ''open'' party image ahead of a general election.
But Aso's dominance was apparent from the beginning and the opposition parties
have called it a mere ''festive'' race. Pundits also say the election
highlighted Japan's ''political vacuum'' in the wake of the global financial
turmoil following the bankruptcy of Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. and a recent
problem over tainted imported rice.
During the 12-day campaign, Aso advocated an increase in public spending and
tax cuts to stimulate the economy. He also said he would ''not view with
hostility'' China's economic development, in an apparent effort to tone down
his hawkish image, while stressing the need to continue Japan's antiterrorism
refueling mission in the Indian Ocean.
At a press conference after becoming LDP president, Aso said he will need three
years to restore the economy and that ''thinking about raising the consumption
tax will come after that.''
While Aso did not elaborate on the timing of the dissolution of the lower
house, he urged the opposition parties to cooperate in enacting a supplementary
budget for the current fiscal year at the extraordinary Diet session to be
convened on Wednesday.
The budget is part of an emergency policy package designed to ease the negative
impact on the Japanese economy from spikes in energy and raw material costs.
''From a commonsense standpoint, it is hardly imaginable that they (the
opposition parties) will block the enactment of the extra budget,'' Aso said.
While Aso will seek to dissolve the lower house after enacting the budget,
voices remain strong in the ruling coalition of the LDP and the New Komeito
party that he should do so at the onset of the Diet session to take advantage
of public expectations of the new leader and to avoid giving the opposition
parties time to step up their attacks on them.
The next election should be held by next September when the current term of
lower house members expires.
While appointing Hosoda as secretary general, the No. 2 party position, Aso
retained Kosuke Hori, 73, as LDP Policy Research Council chairman, Takashi
Sasagawa, 72, as General Council chairman and Makoto Koga, 68, as Election
Strategy Council chairman. He also kept Tadamori Oshima, 62, as Diet affairs
chief.
A manga comic enthusiast and a former Olympic sharpshooter, Aso has a long
political lineage, being the grandson of former Prime Minister Shigeru Yoshida.
But he is also known for sparking controversies as a result of verbal gaffes.
