Ichiro Ozawa Resigns DPJ Leadership

• Japan's opposition leader quits
  Last Updated: 1:15PM BST 11 May 2009 | 10:15:00 p.m. Monday May 11, 2009 in Pacific/Guam
  By Julian Ryall in Tokyo
  Japan's opposition leader has announced his resignation two months after his personal secretary was indicted for accepting illegal donations from a construction company. continued ...


• Scandal Forces Japan's Opposition Leader to Quit
  Tokyo Monday, May. 11, 2009 | 10:00:00 p.m. Monday May 11, 2009 in Pacific/Guam
  Time Magazine
  By Coco Masters / Tokyo
  At a Tokyo press conference on May 11, Ichiro Ozawa, leader of Japan's main opposition party, looked refreshed and smiling. Someone in the crowd yelled, "Don't quit!" but everyone gathered at the headquarters of the Democratic Party of Japan knew that Ozawa, who has led the DPJ since April 2006, had already made up his mind. After a few moments the 66-year-old party president took the podium to announce that he will step down as early as May 13. "I made up my mind that I'd like to solidify the unity at the DPJ and to strengthen it further by stepping down," said Ozawa. "To win is the reason for my decision." continued ...


• Japan's Opposition Leader To Step Down
  MAY 11, 2009, 7:34 A.M. ET | 09:34:00 p.m. Monday May 11, 2009 in Pacific/Guam
  Wall Street Journal
  By YUKA HAYASHI
  TOKYO -- Japanese opposition leader Ichiro Ozawa, facing eroding support among voters, said Monday he would step down as head of the Democratic Party of Japan, a move that could sharply improve the party's chance of winning key national elections later this year and ending the long reign by the conservative Liberal Democratic Party. continued ...


• Japan's scandal-hit opposition chief steps down
  Mon May 11, 6:41 am ET | 08:41:00 p.m. Monday May 11, 2009 in Pacific/Guam
  AFP
  by Shingo Ito Shingo Ito
  TOKYO (AFP) – Japan's opposition leader Ichiro Ozawa, under fire over a political donations scandal, stepped down on Monday ahead of polls that conservative Prime Minister Taro Aso must call by September. continued ...


• Gov't hoping Ozawa's resignation not to have impact on extra budget
  May 11 06:27 AM US/Eastern | 08:27:00 p.m. Monday May 11, 2009 in Pacific/Guam
  Kyodo
  TOKYO, May 11 (AP) - (Kyodo)—Vice Finance Minister Kazuyuki Sugimoto expressed hope Monday that the Diet will soon pass a fiscal 2009 extra budget bill, regardless of Ichiro Ozawa's abrupt resignation as head of the main opposition Democratic Party of Japan. continued ...


• Ozawa Quits as Japan’s Opposition Head Over Scandal (Update2)
  Last Updated: May 11, 2009 06:26 EDT | 08:26:00 p.m. Monday May 11, 2009 in Pacific/Guam
  (Bloomberg)
  By Toko Sekiguchi and Takashi Hirokawa
  May 11 (Bloomberg) -- Ichiro Ozawa resigned as leader of Japan’s opposition over a campaign-funding scandal, abandoning a two-month fight for survival that jeopardized his party’s prospects for an unprecedented election victory. continued ...


• Japan Opposition Leader Quits Ahead of Election
  Monday, May 11, 2009; 6:14 AM | 08:14:00 p.m. Monday May 11, 2009 in Pacific/Guam
  Washington Post
  By Blaine Harden
  Washington Post Foreign Service
  TOKYO, May 11 -- In this election year in Japan, history-making political change had seemed a sure thing. continued ...


• Japan opposition leader quits ahead of election
  Mon May 11, 6:04 am ET | 08:04:00 p.m. Monday May 11, 2009 in Pacific/Guam
  Reuters
  By Chisa Fujioka Chisa Fujioka
  TOKYO (Reuters) – Japanese opposition leader Ichiro Ozawa resigned on Monday in a move that is likely to improve his party's prospects in a looming election, after a fundraising scandal dampened its hopes for victory. continued ...


• Japan's opposition leader to quit
  Page last updated at 08:53 GMT, Monday, 11 May 2009 09:53 UK | 06:53:00 p.m. Monday May 11, 2009 in Pacific/Guam
  BBC
  Japanese opposition leader Ichiro Ozawa has announced his resignation.
  Mr Ozawa had been under pressure to go after a close aide was charged in a fundraising scandal in March. continued ...


• Japan’s opposition leader to resign
  Published: May 11 2009 09:14 | 06:14:00 p.m. Monday May 11, 2009 in Pacific/Guam
  Financial Times
  By Mure Dickie in Tokyo
  Japanese political heavyweight Ichiro Ozawa is to resign as president of the leading opposition Democratic party after failing to quell criticism sparked by the arrest of a top aide in a fundraising scandal. continued ...


• DPJ leader Ozawa says he will resign amid fundraising scandal
  May 11 03:45 AM US/Eastern | 05:45:00 p.m. Monday May 11, 2009 in Pacific/Guam
  Kyodo
  TOKYO, May 11 (AP) - (Kyodo) — Main opposition Democratic Party of Japan leader Ichiro Ozawa said Monday he will resign to ensure "party unity" which appears to have been shaken prior to the House of Representatives election following the recent indictment of his close aide in a political funds scandal. continued ...


• DPJ leader Ozawa expresses intent to resign amid fundraising scandal
  May 11 02:46 AM US/Eastern | 04:46:00 p.m. Monday May 11, 2009 in Pacific/Guam
  Kyodo
  (AP) - TOKYO, May 11 (Kyodo) — Ichiro Ozawa, leader of the main opposition Democratic Party of Japan, expressed his intention Monday to step down following the indictment of his top secretary in a political funds scandal that is threatening the DPJ's prospects of winning the next general election, a party executive said. continued ...


• Japan opposition chief plans to resign: media
  May 11 02:10 AM US/Eastern | 04:10:00 p.m. Monday May 11, 2009 in Pacific/Guam
  AFP
  Japan's opposition leader Ichiro Ozawa, under fire over a political donations scandal, has told officials of his party that he plans to resign, media reports said Monday. continued ...


• Leader of Japan’s Opposition Resigns
  Published: May 11, 2009 | 03:00:00 p.m. Monday May 11, 2009 in Pacific/Guam
  New York Times
  By MARTIN FACKLER
  TOKYO — Ichiro Ozawa, the Japanese opposition leader, announced his resignation on Monday, saying he wanted to prevent a campaign funding scandal involving one of his aides from hurting his party’s chances of unseating the long-governing Liberal Democratic Party. continued ...