Koizumi viewed positively, critically by new ministers

TOKYO, Sept. 26 Kyodo - Some ministers in the newly-launched Cabinet of Prime Minister Taro Aso praised Friday the achievements of former Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, who has announced he will retire from politics, while others sought revision of the structural reforms he pursued.

''I was very surprised,'' said Finance Minister Shoichi Nakagawa. ''He is not
so old and is energetic.''
Nakagawa, like Aso, is seeking more government spending to stimulate the
economy, a policy some say goes against Koizumi's fiscal stance. But the new
finance minister said the former premier aimed to boost the economy through
reform and growth and that such a policy ''is not contradictory to what I have
said.''
Chief Cabinet Secretary Takeo Kawamura said he would like Koizumi, who has
popularity and influence, to train politicians as there are many young
lawmakers in the Diet, apparently referring to those who were elected for the
first time in the 2005 House of Representatives election with the backing of
Koizumi.
Meanwhile, Kawamura said the current expansion in social disparities followed
the development of structural reforms, including deregulation, and that the
''future challenge is to remedy the situation.''
Economic and Fiscal Policy Minister Kaoru Yosano told a press conference,
meanwhile, that Koizumi acted as a ''savior'' of the Liberal Democratic Party.
''It is a little premature for him to retire.''
Seiko Noda, state minister in charge of consumer affairs, once ousted from the
LDP over her opposition to Koizumi's postal privatization plan, said she thanks
him as he did the most to train her and helped her get to where she is now.
Koizumi met with former prime ministers Yoshiro Mori and Shinzo Abe as well as
former Chief Cabinet Secretary Nobutaka Machimura on Friday, and told them he
will ''retire voluntarily,'' according to Abe. Koizumi told reporters after the
meeting that he will explain the details of his decision on Saturday in
Yokosuka, Kanagawa Prefecture.
''I believe Mr. Koizumi has determined that he has done at full power what he
should have done as a premier,'' Abe told reporters.
Mori quoted Koizumi as telling them he will continue to support the LDP, saying
that the party should work steadily with Aso as it chose him as prime minister
and that he will work with the party.
When Mori sought Koizumi's support in the next lower house election, Koizumi
responded that he will work actively if it is advantageous to the party, Mori
said.