Mori comes back to power despite defeat in Japan polls

Mori comes back to power despite defeat in Japan polls
AGENCE FRANCE PRESSE

TOKYO, JULY 4: After dealing Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori a punishing setback in the June 25 elections, many Japanese voters were bemused on Tuesday to see him confirmed as leader.

``It is strange that Mori is becoming the Prime Minister again,'' said Hideharu Kaneoya, a 63-year-old lotto seller. ``He was the one who should have taken responsibility for the election.'' Voters had punished Mori's Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), leaving it without majority and reliant on the two coalition allies to remain in power. But he was confirmed as Prime Minister by both the Houses of Parliament today.

Mori stood and bowed deeply to the applause from supporters after hearing he had been reappointed after taking 284 votes in the 480-seat Lower House of Parliament. The Upper House confirmed the decision in a symbolic vote. The LDP got just 233 seats in the new slimmed-down Lower House of Parliament, compared to 271 in the previous Lower House that had 500 seats. It left the party, which has ruled Japan with only one 10-month break since its formation in 1955, reliant on the Buddhist-backed Komeito with 31 seats and the Conservative Party with seven.

Mori compounded voters' grief today by announcing a new Cabinet that leaves key posts unchanged, including those of Finance Minister Kiichi Miyazawa and Foreign Minister Yohei Kono. ``Based on the political stability of the Mori Cabinet, we will deliver a fully-fledged economic recovery,'' promised Chief Cabinet Secretary Hidenao Nakagawa, on his first day in the job. Two women a former showgirl and a high-powered Yale University graduate joined the Cabinet. Chikage Ogi, a 57-year-old former showgirl dancer at Takarazuka Opera Company and now head of the minor Conservative Party, was appointed as Construction Minister. Yoriko Kawaguchi, a 59-year-old bureaucrat, was named as director-general of the environment agency.

Pundits had blamed Mori's verbal gaffes for the poll setback. He caused an uproar on May 15 by describing Japan as ``God's country, centered on the Emperor'', harking back to the now-taboo wartime creed of a divine emperor. Just a few days before the elections, he told wavering voters to stay in bed.

``For the LDP, the election is the same as a defeat as they could not get a majority by themselves,'' said Kaneoya. ``They only filled up the number from other parties.''

``I hate him. He does not have the capability to work as the premier,'' Kaneoya added. ``I am speechless at how corrupted Japanese politics is. It is always the same people doing the same thing.''

Mori to visit India, Pak
TOKYO: Japanese Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori plans to visit India and Pakistan in August to urge them to sign a nuclear test ban treaty, a newspaper said on Tuesday. Mori will "strongly urge the two countries to sign the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT)" outlawing nuclear tests, the Sankei Shimbun said, quoting government and ruling alliance party sources. Mori will call on India and Pakistan to hold close dialogue, the newspaper said.