The Yomiuri Shimbun
Does Democratic Party of Japan President Ichiro Ozawa actually want to be prime minister if his party wins the next House of Representatives election?
Despite his expressed willingness to assume the reins of government, some observers of the Nagatacho political scene question the opposition leader's intentions, pointing to a history of behavior by Ozawa that makes them skeptical of his desire to take the center of the nation's political stage.
Speaking at a news conference after a meeting of the party's Iwate prefectural chapter on Saturday, Ozawa said, "If I stay on as DPJ president, and the DPJ or the DPJ-led opposition wins a majority of seats in the next general election, I must fulfill my responsibility."
Indeed, since September, when he was elected for a third term as DPJ president, Ozawa has begun to more openly express his willingness to seek the premiership.
One political observer said this represents a shift for Ozawa who in 1991 declined a request by his political mentor and then LDP Vice President Shin Kanemaru, chairman of what was then the party's largest faction, to run to succeed Prime Minister Toshiki Kaifu as LDP president.
During the administrations of Prime Ministers Morihiro Hosokawa and Tsutomu Hata, formed by several parties but which excluded the LDP and the Japanese Communist Party, Ozawa flexed his political muscle as a de facto leader, earning himself a reputation as the man really pulling the strings.
Asked why Ozawa had begun to express a willingness to become prime minister, a close aide said, "Because he felt there was a need to give the impression he has changed his political style in preparation for the next lower house election."
But deep-rooted skepticism remains about Ozawa's real willingness to do so, with one DPJ lawmaker saying his behavior often bears little resemblance to that of an aspiring prime minister.
The most recent example was Ozawa's decision not to represent the party in interpellations of Prime Minister Taro Aso over his policy speech in a plenary lower house session Wednesday, despite the likelihood the current session will be the last chance for lower house debates as an election must be called no later than September. Ozawa reportedly refused a direct request by party executives to lead his party's interpellations.
Meanwhile, in meetings with foreign dignitaries, Ozawa has asked DPJ Secretary General Yukio Hatoyama to represent him so he can devote time to campaigning around the country ahead of the next general election. Ozawa also reportedly told Hatoyama on Jan. 20 that he would not visit the United States until the DPJ assumes power.
Ozawa's health problems, dating back to 1991 when he was hospitalized after a heart attack, also have cast a shadow over his political activities. Ozawa was hospitalized in 2006 for medical checkup after becoming party president and recently he has been regularly absenting himself from lower house plenary sessions or party meetings saying that he has a cold.
Ozawa's behavior, which many argue is unworthy of a would-be prime minister, is providing fodder for attacks by the LDP. Makoto Koga, who chairs the party's Election Strategy Council, criticized Ozawa on Saturday at a meeting in Fukuoka Prefecture, saying that if he intended to become prime minister, he should have represented his party in interpellating Aso over his policy speech.
"His failure to do so means his party doesn't deserve to be the largest opposition party," Koga said.
DPJ supporters also are concerned about whether Ozawa will want to become the face of Japan should the DPJ take over the helm of government.
During a meeting organized by DPJ Vice President Katsuya Okada in his constituency in Kuwana, Mie Prefecture, on Jan. 25, one supporter voiced concern.
Okada responded by saying, "It's reasonable for Ozawa to become prime minister if the DPJ wins the next election." But another supporter still questioned Ozawa's health, saying: "Ozawa's health is a worry for us. He's always being seen [on TV] wearing a mask."
One DPJ executive said he was concerned Ozawa might try to install a defector from the LDP as prime minister in a nod to his old kingmaker ways.
But a DPJ lawmaker close to Ozawa denied this was a possibility, saying, "He'll serve as prime minister for at least a year...He'll only transfer power to a successor after he's laid the foundations for ensuring that a DPJ-led government will be able to stay in power."
(Feb. 2, 2009)
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