April 28, 2010Speculation that Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama and Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) bigwig Ichiro Ozawa may resign together in May are growing after a prosecution inquest panel recommended Ozawa be indicted over a political funding scandal.
Observations earlier spread within the ruling coalition that Hatoyama may step down if his administration fails to make a final decision on the relocation of U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma in Okinawa Prefecture by the end of May as he has pledged.
Meanwhile, Ozawa has denied that he will step down from his post, despite the recommendation that he be indicted.
"I'm surprised at the unexpected decision. I've done nothing wrong, so I'll continue to try my utmost to perform my designated duties," Ozawa, secretary-general of the governing party, told reporters on Tuesday. "If prosecution authorities make an appropriate decision, then the public will accept it and support us."
Nevertheless, he abruptly cancelled his meeting with Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Naoto Kan and Osaka Gov. Toru Hashimoto scheduled for Tuesday afternoon. The move suggests that he was shocked at the decision in which the inquest panel criticized his actions as "unforgivable from the standpoint of ordinary citizens."
Ozawa has turned his back on the public's criticism of a money scandal involving his political fund-raising organization.
"The duty of the secretary-general is to ensure that the party wins elections. It's irrelevant to the approval ratings for the Cabinet," he says.
He apparently aims to maintain his influence on the party by leading the DPJ's campaign for the House of Councillors election this coming summer. However, his strategy for securing a one-party majority in the chamber appears to have failed as the DPJ has suffered setbacks in a series of major local elections.
However, as confusion within the government over the Futenma relocation issue has called into question Hatoyama's leadership ability, doubts exist within the party that Ozawa's resignation alone would lead to an increase in the public's support for the administration.
A high-ranking DPJ member who is close to Ozawa pointed to the possibility that Hatoyama and Ozawa will step down together.
"If the prime minister resigns over the Futenma issue, the secretary-general can step down together. That'd be the only chance," he said.
Click here for the original Japanese story
(Mainichi Japan) April 28, 2010
Posts
