Five officially toss hats into ring in Japan PM race - Tehran Times

Font Size TOKYO --Trade Minister Banri Kaieda, former foreign minister Seiji Maehara and three others submitted their official bids on Saturday morning to run in next week's Democratic Party of Japan presidential election. In what has turned out to be crowded race to select Japan's next prime minister, Finance Minister Yoshikiko Noda, Agriculture Minister Michihiko Kano and former transport minister Sumio Mabuchi also threw their hats into the ring. The candidates submitted their official bids to DPJ headquarters. While voting in the race is only open to DPJ lawmakers, in terms of public support, Maehara is by far leading the pack, the latest opinion poll shows. A telephone survey in the Asahi Shimbun Saturday showed 40% of respondents back Maehara as the next premier. Kaieda is second-ranked, obtaining a distant 5% support rating. But with Ichiro Ozawa, one of the most influential members of the DPJ, reportedly supporting Kaieda, an increasingly heated battle is widely expected. The poll also showed 39% of surveyed supported a grand coalition with the biggest opposition Liberal Democratic Party, while 36% expressed opposition. By convention, the ruling party's leader usually becomes prime minister. The new leader will be the sixth of prime minister in the past five years. The new premier will face numerous challenges ahead amid a slew of problematic issues including reconstruction after the March 11 earthquake and tsunami and the ensuing nuclear plant accident, global financial market turmoil and the yen's strength. The presidential race comes after Prime Minister Naoto Kan Friday stepped down following the passage of key bills through the Diet, a precondition he made for his resignation. In the leadership vote Monday, if none of these five candidates obtain more than half of the valid ballot of the ruling party, that vote will become a decisive vote between the top two. The head of the Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry expressed his desire Friday that the candidates debate policy in a positive way in such areas as quake reconstruction steps including financing, unified reforms of social security and tax, as well as the implementation of the government-led growth strategy. "We strongly hope the ruling and opposition parties will work with each other to overcome  the national crisis," JCCI Chairman Tadashi Okamura said in a written statement. Meanwhile, Former foreign minister Seiji Maehara is by far leading the pack in terms of public support in the race to become Japan's next prime minister with a support rating of 40%, far exceeding other likely candidates ahead of next week's Democratic Party of Japan presidential election, a poll in the Asahi Shimbun showed Saturday. The latest result of an Asahi poll, taken on Thursday and Friday by telephone, showed 40% of respondents back Maehara as the next premier. The second and the third ranked are trade minister Banri Kaieda and former internal affairs minister Kazuhiro Haraguchi with each obtaining 5% support rating. The poll also showed 39% of surveyed supported a grand coalition with the biggest opposition Liberal Democratic Party, while 36% expressed opposition. 
Last Updated on 27 August 2011 14:33

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