Aso's failed LDP leadership revamp sparks criticism

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TOKYO, July 2 Kyodo -
Prime Minister Taro Aso faced renewed criticism Thursday over his apparent
failure to reshuffle the top officials of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party,
with LDP lawmakers arguing that his reluctance to implement personnel changes
only highlighted the turmoil in the party ahead of a looming general election.
Opposition lawmakers also attacked Aso, but recent revelations of the
falsification of a political funds report related to Democratic Party of Japan
leader Yukio Hatoyama have somewhat blunted the DPJ's critical edge.
On the closely watched timing of the dissolution of the House of
Representatives, Aso noted Thursday that he is allowed by the Constitution to
dissolve the Diet even if Emperor Akihito, who has to authorize the
dissolution, is abroad on his trip to Canada and Hawaii.
''The law stipulates that the crown prince performs state affairs if the
emperor is on a foreign trip,'' he told reporters, hinting at the possibility
that he may dissolve the Diet while Emperor Akihito is away from Friday to July
17.
Aso, 68, was believed to have been considering reshuffling the top party
portfolios in an effort to bolster his beleaguered administration before
campaigning for the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly election begins on Friday, but
apparently gave up the idea in the face of strong opposition from some LDP
lawmakers.
Instead, the premier, whose support ratings are in tatters, announced Wednesday
evening that he had decided to add two new faces to his Cabinet lineup,
appointments critics say are unlikely to help revive his popularity.
''Honestly, I have to say that the mess (within the party) has merely been
revealed after all,'' said Yoshitaka Murata, deputy chief chairman of the LDP's
Diet Affairs Committee.
Koichiro Shimizu, an LDP lower house member, said, ''The prime minister's power
and clout in the party are extremely weak.''
LDP Diet affairs chief Tadamori Oshima said, ''We should not fuss around within
the party. We need to forge ahead instead (toward the election for the House of
Representatives).''
''Aso's Cabinet is suffering a decline in power. His dignity has hit bottom,''
said Yasumasa Shigeno, secretary general of the small opposition Social
Democratic Party. ''It's a result of their (the ruling parties') changing the
administration repeatedly without seeking a popular mandate.''
But the main opposition DPJ is also reeling from the report falsification by
Hatoyama's political funds management group.
Capitalizing on the DPJ's trouble, the ruling LDP-New Komeito camp has launched
a project team to look into the falsification and demanded that Hatoyama be
summoned to the Diet to explain the case.
But DPJ Secretary General Katsuya Okada defended Hatoyama, saying that the
ruling parties ''just want to make a big deal about it and take any possible
advantageous position in fighting the election.''
Aso appointed Yoshimasa Hayashi as economic and fiscal policy minister and
Motoo Hayashi as chief of the National Public Safety Commission.
Yoshimasa Hayashi, a former defense minister, replaced Kaoru Yosano, who
retained his other posts of finance minister and financial services minister.
Motoo Hayashi, acting LDP secretary general, will take over from Tsutomu Sato,
who kept his other post of internal affairs and communications minister.
==Kyodo
2009-07-02 22:53:26