Kan to resign as Japan's premier
Source: Agencies |
August 27, 2011, Saturday
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Print Edition
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JAPANESE Prime Minister Naoto Kan announced his resignation yesterday after almost 15 months in office amid plunging approval ratings over his government's handling of the tsunami disaster and nuclear crisis.
In a nationally televised speech, Kan said he was stepping down as chief of the ruling Democratic Party of Japan and would officially quit as prime minister after the ruling party votes on Monday to pick a new leader - the country's sixth prime minister in five years.
Japan has been plagued by high turnover in political leadership at a time when the country faces huge problems, including an aging population, bulging debt and stagnant economy - and now reconstruction from the worst disaster to hit the country since World War II.
Former Foreign Minister Seiji Maehara, a 49-year-old defense expert and a China hawk, is viewed as the front-runner to replace Kan. Finance Minister Yoshihiko Noda and Trade Minister Banri Kaieda are also contenders.
The decision was widely expected because in June, Kan had promised to quit once three key pieces of legislation were passed, the final two of which cleared the parliament earlier yesterday.
Kan managed to survive only a few months longer than the four previous premiers, who each lasted a year or less.
Looking back on his year and three months in office, Kan said he did all he could given the difficulties he faced, including the disasters and a major election defeat in upper house elections last summer that left the parliament in gridlock. "Now I would like to see you choose someone respectable as a new prime minister," he said
The 64-year-old Kan had seen his approval ratings tumble below 20 percent amid a perceived lack of leadership after the March 11 earthquake and tsunami, which led to meltdowns at three reactors at the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant.
Many of the 100,000 people who were evacuated from around the plant live in temporary housing or shelter, and have no idea when they will be able to return to their homes. Accumulated radiation in some locations may keep them away for a long time, government officials said recently.
Kan, who called off a planned trip to visit United States President Barack Obama next month due to the political uncertainty, said Tokyo should keep the Japan-US alliance as "cornerstone" of its security and foreign policy.
He also urged his successor to "not put off any longer" attempts to rein in Japan's public debt.
In a nationally televised speech, Kan said he was stepping down as chief of the ruling Democratic Party of Japan and would officially quit as prime minister after the ruling party votes on Monday to pick a new leader - the country's sixth prime minister in five years.
Japan has been plagued by high turnover in political leadership at a time when the country faces huge problems, including an aging population, bulging debt and stagnant economy - and now reconstruction from the worst disaster to hit the country since World War II.
Former Foreign Minister Seiji Maehara, a 49-year-old defense expert and a China hawk, is viewed as the front-runner to replace Kan. Finance Minister Yoshihiko Noda and Trade Minister Banri Kaieda are also contenders.
The decision was widely expected because in June, Kan had promised to quit once three key pieces of legislation were passed, the final two of which cleared the parliament earlier yesterday.
Kan managed to survive only a few months longer than the four previous premiers, who each lasted a year or less.
Looking back on his year and three months in office, Kan said he did all he could given the difficulties he faced, including the disasters and a major election defeat in upper house elections last summer that left the parliament in gridlock. "Now I would like to see you choose someone respectable as a new prime minister," he said
The 64-year-old Kan had seen his approval ratings tumble below 20 percent amid a perceived lack of leadership after the March 11 earthquake and tsunami, which led to meltdowns at three reactors at the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant.
Many of the 100,000 people who were evacuated from around the plant live in temporary housing or shelter, and have no idea when they will be able to return to their homes. Accumulated radiation in some locations may keep them away for a long time, government officials said recently.
Kan, who called off a planned trip to visit United States President Barack Obama next month due to the political uncertainty, said Tokyo should keep the Japan-US alliance as "cornerstone" of its security and foreign policy.
He also urged his successor to "not put off any longer" attempts to rein in Japan's public debt.
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