JAPAN: Four ministers and one former minister are officially in the race to become the next Japanese prime minister
Record ID:
464137
JAPAN: Four ministers and one former minister are officially in the race to become the next Japanese prime minister
- Title: JAPAN: Four ministers and one former minister are officially in the race to become the next Japanese prime minister
- Date: 28th August 2011
- Summary: TOKYO, JAPAN (AUGUST 27, 2011) (REUTERS) PHOTOGRAPHERS LINING UP TO PHOTOGRAPH CANDIDATES CANDIDATES SHAKING HANDS CANDIDATES FROM LEFT TO RIGHT FORMER FOREIGN MINISTER SEIJI MAEHARA, TRANSPORT MINISTER SUMIO MABUCHI, TRADE MINISTER BANRI KAIEDA, FINANCE MINISTER YOSHIHIKO NODA AND AGRICULTURE MINISTER MICHIHIKO KANO MORE OF CANDIDATES HOLDING HANDS CANDIDATES SEATED MEMBER OF AUDIENCE MABUCHI SPEAKING (SOUNDBITE) (Japanese) JAPANESE TRANSPORT SUMIO MABUCHI SAYING: "I would like to propose that the immediate tasks at hand are to recover from the disaster and to bring the nuclear crisis to an end. The most important thing as the manager of a nation is economic recovery and I would like to put all my energy into strengthening the economy " PHOTOGRAPHER TAKES PICTURE PICTURE OF MAEHARA (SOUNDBITE) (Japanese) FORMER FOREIGN MINISTER SEIJI MAEHARA SAYING: "The period post- nuclear accident will be an important time for us to look at a gradual reduction in our dependence on nuclear energy and the firm establishment of a 'best mix' of new energy supplies." CANDIDATES SEATED IN A ROW (SOUNDBITE) (Japanese) TRADE MINISTER BANRI KAIEDA SAYING: "I am aware of all the criticism, but it is precisely because I have experienced the worst of it that I strongly feel there is a job of me to do here." PHOTOGRAPHERS (SOUNDBITE) (Japanese) JAPANESE FINANCE MINISTER YOSHIHIKO NODA SAYING: "Our most pressing task is both economic growth and fiscal reform. There is no fiscal reform without economic growth and no economic growth without fiscal reform. That is my position." MEMBERS OF THE AUDIENCE LISTENING (SOUNDBITE) (Japanese) JAPANESE AGRICULTURE MINISTER MICHIHIKO KANO SAYING: "We've become too introverted. We need to look at how to position Japan on the international arena. Including security pact we need to strengthen the cooperation with the United States." MORE OF NEWS CONFERENCE
- Embargoed: 12th September 2011 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Japan, Japan
- Country: Japan
- Topics: Politics
- Reuters ID: LVAECPXRCV0XU3751MTXVN2JFIHV
- Story Text: The race to pick Japan's sixth leader in five years formally kicked off on Saturday (August 27) with five candidates lined up to take part in the party elections on Monday (August 29).
Five lawmakers including fiscal conservative Finance Minister Yoshihiko Noda, trade minister Banri Kaieda and former foreign minister Seiji Maehara, registered on Saturday to run in the Aug. 29 party vote.
Prime Minister Naoto Kan, under fire for his response to the massive March tsunami and the radiation crisis it triggered, stepped down Friday (August 26), clearing the way for the ruling Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) to pick a new leader.
At a joint news conference in Tokyo soon after the registration deadline, the candidates spelt out their running platforms.
"I would like to propose that the immediate tasks at hand are to recover from the disaster and to bring the nuclear crisis to an end. The most important thing as the manager of a nation is economic recovery and I would like to put all my energy into strengthening the economy," said 52-year-old transport minister Sumio Mabuchi, body-building hobby that has is nicknamed the "Terminator" for his body-building hobby.
Security hawk and former foreign minister Seiji Maehara called on a gradual reduction in Japan's dependency on nuclear energy.
"The period post- nuclear accident will be an important time for us to look at a gradual reduction in our dependence on nuclear energy and the firm establishment of a 'best mix' of new energy supplies," Maehara said.
Maehara is the most popular with ordinary voters. An Asahi newspaper poll published on Saturday showed that 40 percent of voters surveyed preferred the 49-year-old lawmaker.
But only DPJ lawmakers can vote in the party poll, so Maehara faces a tough battle against trade minister Banri Kaieda, 62, who on Friday secured the backing of powerbroker Ichiro Ozawa -- who heads the DPJ's biggest group -- and his ally, former prime minister Yukio Hatoyama.
"I am aware of all the criticisms, but it is precisely because I have experienced the worst of it that I strongly feel there is a job of me to do here," said Kaeida, who also oversees Japan's energy policy and played a key role in efforts to bring the crippled Fukushima nuclear plant under control.
Japan's next leader must grapple with a resurgent yen that threatens exports, rebuild from the disaster, forge a new energy policy while ending the world's worst nuclear crisis since Chernobyl, and find funds to pay for the bulging social welfare costs of an ageing society while reining in public debt already twice the size of the $5 trillion economy.
That could be the job for the current finance minister Yoshihiko Noda.
"Our most pressing task is both economic growth and fiscal reform. There is no fiscal reform without economic growth and no economic growth without fiscal reform. That is my position," the fiscal conservative Noda told the news conference.
Finally the current agriculture minister Michihiko Kano has also joined the race.
"We've become too introverted. We need to look at how to position Japan on the international arena. Including security pact we need to strengthen the cooperation with the United States," 69-year-old Kano said, echoing a familiar theme amongst conservative policy makers .
Only DPJ lawmakers can vote in the party leadership race, the winner of which becomes premier because of the party's majority in parliament's lower house. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2011. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: None