The Yomiuri Shimbun
Prime Minister Taro Aso reflected on and apologized for his past conduct at a gathering of Liberal Democratic Party members of both Diet houses Tuesday morning--a meeting at which opponents of Aso buried the hatchet.
However, resentment remains between supporters and opponents of the beleaguered prime minister, making it unclear whether Aso can unite the party to fight the upcoming House of Representatives election.
"Firstly, I have to reflect and apologize for this," Aso said at the outset of the meeting, expressing regret for party defeats in recent local elections and his own words and actions.
Prior to then, he had maintained a stubborn line, saying things such as, "Local elections have no bearing on the national election."
For the first time, he has reversed his attitude toward recent setbacks for his party, pulling the rug from under Diet members who had been bent on stepping up criticism of the prime minister.
Leading opponents of Aso, including two former LDP secretaries general, Hidenao Nakagawa and Tsutomu Takebe, kept their counsel during the meeting.
The party's leadership had planned to hold the meeting behind closed doors because of fears Aso's opponents would use the opportunity to pressure him, hurting the party's image. A private meeting could also have meant the likes of Nakagawa might have gathered momentum in their bid to oust Aso.
In the end, it was the prime minister himself who decided to open the meeting to the press.
Nakagawa was impressed by Aso's performance and said at a meeting of Diet members Tuesday: "The prime minister's salutation today was wonderful. I'd like to shake the prime minister's hand."
He exchanged a firm handshake with Aso, who was at his side, drawing a round of applause from the room.
The party leadership believes it has been able to confirm party unity through a series of such discussion meetings and meetings of Diet members.
Prior to Tuesday's discussion meeting, party members and lawmakers close to Aso had been saying they would keep the prime minister's opponents in check, having made threats including refusing to officially approve lawmakers who oppose Aso.
But it seems they will not have to resort to such measures.
A rift could once more open up within the party, however, on the issue of the party's election manifesto.
The LDP leadership has been forced to delay the announcement of the policy pledges because of the party's internal disarray, leaving a number in the party smoldering with discontent.
"We aren't an open political party. We're losing the battle before it's begun," Health, Labor and Welfare Minister Yoichi Masuzoe said at a press conference Tuesday morning. "The leadership, including Policy Research Council Chairman [Kosuke Hori] lacks the ability to govern."
A group of lawmakers elected in Tokyo seats, including former Defense Minister Yuriko Koike, and former Internal Affairs and Communications Minister Kunio Hatoyama and his inner circle, are hinting they may draw up their own election manifestos--potential moves that are keeping the party leadership on tenterhooks.
(Jul. 22, 2009)
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