Nakagawa quits over behavior at G-7, dealing fresh blow to premier+

TOKYO, Feb. 17 Kyodo - Finance Minister Shoichi Nakagawa resigned Tuesday following criticism of his
behavior at a weekend press conference after a Group of Seven meeting in Rome
at which he appeared to be drunk, delivering another blow to struggling Prime
Minister Taro Aso.

Aso appointed Economic and Fiscal Policy Minister Kaoru Yosano as Nakagawa's
successor, so the 70-year-old lawmaker will serve concurrently as finance
minister and financial services minister to tackle the global economic turmoil.
''He made a tough decision and I respect that,'' Aso told reporters after
meeting with Nakagawa, one of his closest allies, who visited the prime
minister to present his resignation from the Cabinet.
Aso said he bears responsibility for the situation concerning Nakagawa, but
added he still believes he chose an ''excellent individual'' in terms of his
performance.
Nakagawa, 55, said earlier in the day that he would step down after the fiscal
2009 budget and related bills clear the House of Representatives but tendered
his resignation in the evening amid mounting pressure from both the ruling and
opposition blocs for him to resign promptly.
Asked about his sudden change of mind, Nakagawa said he made the decision as it
would help to clear the way for smoother Diet deliberations, adding, ''I
resigned for the benefit of the nation.''
He was apparently referring to a boycott by the Democratic Party of Japan-led
opposition of the lower house Budget Committee on Tuesday, seeking his
immediate resignation.
The opposition parties submitted a censure motion against Nakagawa to the upper
house in the afternoon, but now plan to drop the motion following his
resignation.
Nakagawa said later at a press conference at the Finance Ministry that he
decided to bring forward the timing of his resignation because he ultimately
thought it ''would be difficult to secure early passage of the budget and
related bills in the current situation.''
But he reiterated that his erratic behavior at the press conference in Rome had
''nothing to do with alcohol.'' He added he will check into a hospital shortly
to rest as he is suffering from pain in his lower back and has not recovered
from a cold.
''My doctor told me I'm suffering from a cold and fatigue,'' he said at another
press conference held early Tuesday afternoon.
Nakagawa apparently decided to resign in a bid to minimize the repercussions on
the Aso administration and avert a further decline in the prime minister's
support ratings ahead of a general election that must be held by the fall.
But one Liberal Democratic Party member of the House of Councillors said
Nakagawa's resignation will undermine the ruling party's already fragile unity,
adding, ''This will be it for the Aso administration.''
Yasunori Sone, a professor of politics at Keio University, said the Nakagawa
situation, along with former Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's anti-Aso
comments last week, have dealt Aso a ''double punch,'' reducing his
administration to the status of a ''lame duck.''
With his support ratings hovering at historically low levels and the economy
remaining in the doldrums, the two recent incidents have made it more difficult
for Aso to dissolve the lower house around May for an election, Sone said. Aso
was reportedly seeking to dissolve the lower house after passage of the fiscal
2009 budget.
Last Thursday, the popular Koizumi launched a tirade against Aso's cash handout
plan as well as the prime minister's recent remarks against postal
privatization, which Koizumi spearheaded.
On Saturday, Nakagawa slurred his words and sometimes closed his eyes during a
news conference following the G-7 financial leaders' meeting in the Italian
capital. Footage showing what appeared to be drunken behavior was aired around
the world.
Nakagawa said Monday his wobbly performance was caused mainly by jet lag and
taking too much cold medicine, brushing aside speculation he was under the
influence of alcohol at the time.
But Nakagawa also admitted that he sipped wine at a luncheon before attending
the news conference. His fondness for drinking is well-known in Japanese
political circles.
He had faced a barrage of criticism from not just the opposition parties but
also within the ruling bloc, while Aso defended him and told him Monday to
remain in his post.
DPJ leader Ichiro Ozawa, who was in Fukuoka, urged him to step down
immediately, telling reporters that his action ''gave a shameful account of
Japan to the whole world'' and that he should ''clarify his attitude
gracefully.''
Despite being under fire, Nakagawa said Tuesday morning he would remain in his
post and that he would ''make a final decision (on whether to step down) after
hearing various opinions and the prime minister's judgment.''
After visiting a doctor for a medical checkup, however, Nakagawa announced in
the afternoon that he will resign after passage of the budget and bills.
''I apologize for having caused a great deal of trouble to the prime minister
and other people concerned by not taking good enough care of my health,'' he
said.
Nakagawa previously raised eyebrows when he made as many as 26 errors while
reading his policy speech before the lower house in late January.
He is the second member of Aso's Cabinet to step down, following Nariaki
Nakayama, who was forced to resign as transport minister due to a series of
verbal gaffes he made soon after the launch of the Cabinet last September.
The G-7 groups Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United
States.
==Kyodo