Aso signals he will seek PM's post

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(Agencies)
Updated: 2008-09-02 12:05

Taro Aso, secretary-general of Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party, speaks during a news conference at the party's headquarters in Tokyo September 2, 2008. Aso said that he was qualified to succeed Yasuo Fukuda, who abruptly resigned as Prime Minister on Monday. [Agencies]

TOKYO - Taro Aso, secretary general of Japan's ruling party, signalled Tuesday he would run to succeed outgoing prime minister Yasuo Fukuda, saying he believed he was qualified for the job.

Aso, who has served as foreign minister, is a former rival of Fukuda, who suddenly resigned on Monday, and is seen as more conservative.

"Mr Fukuda said last night that he wanted a successor to take over what he has done," Aso told a news conference.

"I believe that I am qualified to take over Mr Fukuda's agenda, including the emergency economic package," Aso said.

He was referring to a 11.7-trillion-yen (107-billion-dollar) economic stimulus package which the government unveiled on Friday.

Fukuda said his party would hold an internal election to determine his successor. He did not call a general election, which does not need to be held for another year.

US President George W. Bush said he looked forward to working with Fukuda's successor, and praised the prime minister's work.

Fukuda's surprise announcement on Monday came after the 72-year-old political moderate failed to turn around dwindling public support for his government despite reshuffling his cabinet and unveiling a major economic stimulus package.

Fukuda , under fire over a deeply unpopular medical care plan for the elderly, admitted he felt "swamped" dealing with the problems of the world's second largest economy.

"Today, I have decided to resign. We need a new line-up to cope with a new session of parliament," Fukuda told a hastily arranged news conference.

"I have determined that now is the most opportune time, in which we will not create a political void," he said.

"I thought it would be quite different if somebody new would take care of this."

Fukuda, who in July presided over the annual summit of the Group of Eight major industrial powers, is known for his moderate policies including his efforts to repair historically uneasy relations with China.

But he has openly admitted that he lacks charisma, and polls show voters faulting him for not showing stronger initiative.

Fukuda said he made the decision in light of the tense situation in parliament. The opposition Democratic Party won control of one house last year and has aggressively fought Fukuda's agenda.

"The Democratic Party has tried to stall every bill so it has taken a long time to implement any policies. For the sake of the Japanese people, this should not be repeated," Fukuda said.

Fukuda's LDP has been in power for all but 10 months since its creation in 1955. It enjoys a powerful majority in a legacy of a 2005 landslide victory under reformist leader Junichiro Koizumi.

The opposition lashed out at Fukuda, saying that he should call a general election.

"All we want is the calling of early elections," said Yukio Hatoyama, secretary general of the main opposition Democratic Party.

"I am deeply resentful towards Fukuda for not caring about people," Hatoyama told reporters. "His sudden abandonment showed that the LDP does not have the ability to hold the reins of government."

Fukuda was bracing for another showdown with the opposition in parliament. The next session is set to open on September 12, although media reports said it would likely be delayed.

The opposition last year forced a brief halt to Japan's mission in the Indian Ocean supporting the US-led "war on terror" in Afghanistan.

Another fight is expected during this session over whether to extend the mission for another year.

Fukuda took office nearly a year ago in hopes of reviving the LDP, but he faced an uproar for introducing a hugely unpopular medical coverage plan that raises costs for many elderly people.

A poll out earlier Monday said that his government's approval rating had slumped nine points in the past month to 29 percent, erasing most of the bounce he received from reshuffling his cabinet a month ago.

The poll tipped Aso as the most popular candidate to replace Fukuda.

But analysts said that any prime minister would face a challenge in a divided parliament, an anomaly in Japanese politics.

"I doubt things would get any easier if someone else from the LDP succeeds him as prime minister," said Sadafumi Kawato, professor of politics at Tohoku University.

"In the broader sense, this is a sign of the LDP's declining power," he said.