Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, seeking to soothe voter
outrage over political corruption that contributed to a devastating
election loss, sacked his scandal-tainted farm minister
yesterday.
Politicians and analysts said the dismissal came too late to
help improve the image of Abe, who has vowed to stay on despite the
weekend drubbing that cost his coalition its majority in
parliament's upper house.
But with no appealing candidates to replace him and polls
showing the public split on whether he should go, the wounded
leader looked likely to limp along, although one possible
successor, Foreign Minister Taro Aso, said he would seek the job if
Abe quit.
Abe's coalition has a huge majority in the more powerful lower
house, so his job is safe as long as he has the backing of the
ruling camp.
Abe accepted the resignation of Agriculture Minister Norihiko
Akagi, who had been dogged by media reports over discrepancies in
his political funding records since he was appointed in June. His
predecessor committed suicide after another scandal.
Sacked Japanese
Agriculture Minister Norihiko Akagi
"There were various reports about me in the media and this
affected the election," Akagi - the fourth minister to exit Abe's
Cabinet - told reporters. "It is undeniable that this was one
reason for the defeat of the ruling coalition.
"I apologize deeply."
Abe came under fire during the campaign for defending Akagi and
other gaffe-prone ministers, and some lawmakers from his Liberal
Democratic Party (LDP) said his move now was ill-timed.
Grilled by reporters over why he had fired Akagi but decided to
stay himself, Abe replied: "I take the results of the election
seriously, but we must not create a political vacuum."
Criticized for packing his first Cabinet with inexperienced
cronies, Abe has pledged a new line-up but given no schedule.
Analysts doubted he would benefit from the sacking.
"It's too late," said Toru Umemoto, a foreign exchange
strategist for Barclays Capital. "It's reactive, not
proactive."
The prime minister may, however, take some comfort from the fact
that his support rates haven't plunged.
About 47 percent of respondents to a poll by the liberal
Asahi newspaper said Abe should resign, while 40 percent
wanted him to stay. The conservative Yomiuri newspaper
found 44 percent supported Abe while 45 percent said he should
go.
Abe's approval rate ranged from 26 percent in the Asahi
survey - the lowest since he took office 10 months ago - to 32
percent in the Yomiuri poll, down about five points.
Abe, now 52, took office promising to revise Japan's pacifist
constitution and restore traditional values - priorities that now
appear out of synch with voters' concerns about pocket-book issues
such as pensions.
Perhaps even more telling was a Nikkei survey showing
likely LDP successors to Abe impressed voters even less.
"If Abe says he won't quit, no one can force him to go," said
independent commentator Hirotaka Futatsuki.
"They really have no alternatives."
Opposition Democratic Party leader Ichiro Ozawa topped a list of
politicians seen by voters as suitable prime ministers, but with
just 18 percent compared to 14 percent for Abe.
Abe's predecessor, the maverick Junichiro Koizumi, got 12
percent, but many analysts dismissed the notion that he might be
tempted to make a comeback.
Aso, an outspoken hawk long considered a frontrunner to replace
Abe, got just 5 percent, but said he was ready to make another run
for the post if the LDP held a presidential election.
(China Daily via agencies August 2, 2007)
