JAPAN: Doctors at Tokyo hospital say Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is suffering from gastrointestinal disorder

Record ID: 463059

  • Title: JAPAN: Doctors at Tokyo hospital say Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is suffering from gastrointestinal disorder
  • Date: 13th September 2007
  • Summary: (ASIA) TOKYO, JAPAN (SEPTEMBER 13, 2007) (REUTERS) (SOUNDBITE) (English) KEITH HENRY, PRINCIPAL OFFICER AT ASIA STRATEGY INSTITUTE, SAYING: "Obviously, Taro Aso will be the front-runner mainly because everyone for the last six months have been saying he's the likely successor to Abe. Nobody thought he would be the successor so soon, but that's just the way it goes."
  • Embargoed: 28th September 2007 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Japan
  • Country: Japan
  • Topics: Health,Domestic Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA1ZC8NEOO8YOX0U8LZN8B1FOC0
  • Story Text: Doctors examined Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Thursday (September 13) following his admission to hospital, a day after he suddenly announced his resignation.
    Hours later Toshifumi Hibi, Professor of Internal Medicine at Keio Medical University, told reporters that Abe was suffering from a functional gastrointestinal disorder caused by overwhelming stress.
    "I think that severe physical and psychological stress is kind of responsible for the disease," Hibi said.
    The doctor also said Abe is debilitated by the disease and needs to continue receiving hospital treatment for a few more days.
    Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) party have scrambled to find a new leader and avoid a policy vacuum after the outgoing prime minister's shock resignation.
    LDP Secretary-General Taro Aso, a former foreign minister under Abe who shares his hawkish views on security is seen as a frontrunner.
    "Obviously, Taro Aso will be the front-runner mainly because everyone for the last six months have been saying he's the likely successor.
    Nobody thought he would be the successor so soon, but that's just the way it goes," said Keith Henry, principal officer at Asia Strategy Institute in Tokyo.
    Aso has so far stopped short of speaking about his candidacy.
    "All I can think of now is to make sure a party election runs smoothly. It's too early for you guys to ask me if I'm running, and it's too early for me to answer that," Aso told a news conference Wednesday (September 12).
    On Thursday, Japan's Finance Minister Fukushiro Nukaga became the first to launch a bid to lead the country. Other names in the list of successors include former finance minister Sadakazu Tanigaki and former chief cabinet secretary Yasuo Fukuda .
    Some lawmakers petitioned for the return of Abe's maverick predecessor Junichiro Koizumi, but Japanese media say Koizumi had already turned down the request.
    Abe will stay as caretaker until a successor is picked at the party's presidential election on Sept. 19 or Sept. 25.
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