NERVUN
12-09-2007, 07:56
Prime Minister Abe announces resignation
Compiled from Kyodo, staff reports
After less than a year in power, embattled Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Wednesday that he is stepping down to take responsibility for the confusion in national politics following the ruling coalition's loss in the House of Councilors election in July and the stalemate over Japan's antiterrorism mission in the Indian Ocean.
In a hastily arranged news conference, Abe said he told the top executives of his Liberal Democratic Party to quickly choose a new party chief, who is almost certain to become prime minister due to the LDP's comfortable majority in the House of Representatives.
Abe said he made the decision to quit after Ichiro Ozawa, leader of the Democratic Party of Japan, snubbed his request earlier in the day for a meeting. Abe had intended to seek the opposition camp's support in extending the refueling mission in support of coalition forces in Afghanistan.
The day's scheduled plenary session of the House of Representatives was canceled after the LDP informed the DPJ that Abe could not attend the session because he was stepping down.
The surprise announcement came just two days after Abe convened a 62-day extraordinary session of the Diet, the first session of the legislature after the ruling coalition lost control of the Upper House in the July 29 election.
As recently as last weekend, Abe said he was staking his job on the extension of the Indian Ocean mission, which he described as a centerpiece of his diplomacy. A special law enabling the mission expires Nov. 1, and the opposition camp has vowed to block its extension.
Abe told a news conference in Sydney on Sunday that he would not cling to his job if he failed to keep the mission alive. But despite his call for cooperation from the opposition camp, DPJ leader Ozawa repeated this week that the Indian Ocean mission ran counter to the Constitution and was unacceptable.
After Abe's exit, LDP Secretary General Taro Aso, the party's No. 2 leader and a runnerup to Abe in the party's presidential race last year, is considered one of the leading candidates to lead the LDP.
Abe took office in September 2006 as the youngest prime minister since World War II, calling for what he termed a departure from the postwar regime and advocating revision of the war-renouncing Constitution. Abe managed to thaw Japan's icy ties with China and South Korea by visiting the two countries immediately after taking office, but he has since suffered from a string of money scandals and gaffes from members of his Cabinet, as well as the fiasco over public pension records.
In just less than a year in office, Abe lost five Cabinet ministers, including one who killed himself. His public approval ratings fell steadily after achieving a high of nearly 70 percent at the beginning of his administration, which suffered from allegations of cronyism.
Even after the coalition suffered a humiliating defeat in the July election and ceded control of the upper chamber to the opposition camp, Abe refused to resign, saying it was his mission to pursue reforms and avoid a political vacuum.
The Japan Times: Wednesday, Sept. 12, 2007
(C) All rights reserved
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20070912x1.html
About bloody time! He has stuck his foot in his mouth more times than a prime minister should, and let's not forget his cabinet full of buddies who stole money, referred to women and birthing machines, and other issues.
Of course his replacement will probably not be too much better, but at least Abe is out.
*sighs* I miss Koizumi and his hair.
Compiled from Kyodo, staff reports
After less than a year in power, embattled Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Wednesday that he is stepping down to take responsibility for the confusion in national politics following the ruling coalition's loss in the House of Councilors election in July and the stalemate over Japan's antiterrorism mission in the Indian Ocean.
In a hastily arranged news conference, Abe said he told the top executives of his Liberal Democratic Party to quickly choose a new party chief, who is almost certain to become prime minister due to the LDP's comfortable majority in the House of Representatives.
Abe said he made the decision to quit after Ichiro Ozawa, leader of the Democratic Party of Japan, snubbed his request earlier in the day for a meeting. Abe had intended to seek the opposition camp's support in extending the refueling mission in support of coalition forces in Afghanistan.
The day's scheduled plenary session of the House of Representatives was canceled after the LDP informed the DPJ that Abe could not attend the session because he was stepping down.
The surprise announcement came just two days after Abe convened a 62-day extraordinary session of the Diet, the first session of the legislature after the ruling coalition lost control of the Upper House in the July 29 election.
As recently as last weekend, Abe said he was staking his job on the extension of the Indian Ocean mission, which he described as a centerpiece of his diplomacy. A special law enabling the mission expires Nov. 1, and the opposition camp has vowed to block its extension.
Abe told a news conference in Sydney on Sunday that he would not cling to his job if he failed to keep the mission alive. But despite his call for cooperation from the opposition camp, DPJ leader Ozawa repeated this week that the Indian Ocean mission ran counter to the Constitution and was unacceptable.
After Abe's exit, LDP Secretary General Taro Aso, the party's No. 2 leader and a runnerup to Abe in the party's presidential race last year, is considered one of the leading candidates to lead the LDP.
Abe took office in September 2006 as the youngest prime minister since World War II, calling for what he termed a departure from the postwar regime and advocating revision of the war-renouncing Constitution. Abe managed to thaw Japan's icy ties with China and South Korea by visiting the two countries immediately after taking office, but he has since suffered from a string of money scandals and gaffes from members of his Cabinet, as well as the fiasco over public pension records.
In just less than a year in office, Abe lost five Cabinet ministers, including one who killed himself. His public approval ratings fell steadily after achieving a high of nearly 70 percent at the beginning of his administration, which suffered from allegations of cronyism.
Even after the coalition suffered a humiliating defeat in the July election and ceded control of the upper chamber to the opposition camp, Abe refused to resign, saying it was his mission to pursue reforms and avoid a political vacuum.
The Japan Times: Wednesday, Sept. 12, 2007
(C) All rights reserved
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20070912x1.html
About bloody time! He has stuck his foot in his mouth more times than a prime minister should, and let's not forget his cabinet full of buddies who stole money, referred to women and birthing machines, and other issues.
Of course his replacement will probably not be too much better, but at least Abe is out.
*sighs* I miss Koizumi and his hair.