Movement to oust Aso could accelerate after Tokyo election: minister

+

TOKYO, July 6 Kyodo -
Prime Minister Taro Aso could face intensified pressure to step down from
fellow lawmakers within his Liberal Democratic Party if the ruling party
suffers a setback in the upcoming Tokyo assembly election, Health, Labor and
Welfare Minister Yoichi Masuzoe suggested Monday.
Masuzoe said ''events in the national political arena'' affected the result of
Sunday's Shizuoka gubernatorial election, in which a Democratic Party of
Japan-backed candidate won and a ruling coalition-backed candidate lost.
Along with the Tokyo assembly poll, the Shizuoka election is seen as a
bellwether for the national election to be held by October.
''We need to candidly reflect on the lack of strength on our part,'' Masuzoe
said, adding that the result of next Sunday's Tokyo metropolitan assembly
election could have an effect on national politics and various scenarios could
happen after the election.
His remark indicates that the movement within the LDP to oust Aso could
strengthen if the ruling coalition of the LDP and the New Komeito party also
suffers a setback in the Tokyo assembly election.
Aso played down the Shizuoka election result, telling reporters that local
elections do not have a direct impact on national politics. He also said the
outcome in Shizuoka is unlikely to affect next Sunday's Tokyo poll.
''The Tokyo metropolitan assembly election and the Shizuoka gubernatorial
election are not directly related. For the Tokyo assembly election, Tokyo
residents will issue a verdict on what the metropolitan government did the past
four years,'' Aso said.
Speaking about when he will dissolve the lower house, Aso repeated his recent
mantra that he will ''make a decision at an appropriate timing.''
Meanwhile, DPJ President Yukio Hatoyama was triumphant in his response to the
result of the Shizuoka gubernatorial election, telling reporters in Tokyo,
''We'd like to maintain the momentum toward the Tokyo metropolitan assembly
election.''
He reiterated his demand that Aso dissolve the House of Representatives for a
general election as soon as possible to gauge public opinion.
Finance Minister Kaoru Yosano, whose constituency is in Tokyo, expressed a
sense of caution against the main opposition DPJ's political offensive, saying,
''It's difficult to gauge what's happening in the deep layers of the voters'
minds.''
On the effect of local elections on national politics, Yosano said, ''I'd like
to think quietly by myself after the Tokyo metropolitan assembly election is
over.''
==Kyodo