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163818
Thu, 02/24/2011 - 17:17
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https://oananews.org//node/163818
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DPJ member quits gov't post in protest at Kan's leadership
TOKYO, Feb. 24 Kyodo -
(EDS: ADDING DETAILS)
Democratic Party of Japan lawmaker Kenko Matsuki resigned Thursday from a senior government post in protest at Prime Minister Naoto Kan's leadership, prompting opposition party lawmakers to say the eight-month-old government is on the brink of meltdown.
Matsuki, a parliamentary secretary at the farm ministry, turned in a letter of resignation addressed to Kan to Michihiko Kano, minister of agriculture, forestry and fisheries.
''I was asked by minister Kano to stay on in my post but my stance remains unchanged,'' Matsuki, a close ally of DPJ bigwig Ichiro Ozawa, told reporters.
Kan told reporters in the evening he had received the letter and accepted his resignation.
''It is very disappointing,'' said Kan, at a time when he is facing pressure to quit or dissolve the lower house for a general election.
Matsuki's move, which comes days after 16 DPJ lawmakers launched a revolt, is the latest sign of how unpopular Kan's government has become while Japan faces a host of pending issues.
Kan, whose Cabinet's public support rating has slipped below 20 percent, is at risk of failing to push through parliament bills necessary to implement the fiscal 2011 budget.
In addition to struggling to cope with rising tensions within the DPJ, Kan is fighting a steep uphill battle with opposition parties, which control the upper house and say that they would vote against the bills.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano said he deplores Matsuki's decision while the government as a whole is dealing with its response to a major earthquake that hit New Zealand's second-largest city Christchurch this week and many other important issues.
DPJ Secretary General Katsuya Okada criticized Matsuki, saying at a news conference that he should have had more resolve in taking up the post to do important work for the benefit of the people.
Nobuteru Ishihara, secretary general of the main opposition Liberal Democratic Party, said Matsuki's move is a ''sign'' that Kan's government is on the verge of collapse.
''When a big landslide happens, it first starts with many small rocks falling,'' Ishihara told reporters.
New Komeito party chief Natsuo Yamaguchi told a meeting of the second-largest opposition party that the DPJ is heading for ''self-destruction.''
Matsuki has criticized a number of government policies, arguing they run counter to the vision of the DPJ when it swept to power in 2009, ending the almost continuous grip on power for more than half a century by the LDP.
Matsuki has said it would be difficult for him to accept Kan's recent proactive stance on raising the consumption tax and joining talks for a U.S.-backed regional free trade agreement, known as the Trans-Pacific Partnership.
Kan told reporters that major agenda items such as advancing trade liberalization and tax and social security reforms need to be addressed by any government if Japan is to have a better future, signaling his determination to continue in office and that Matsuki's reasons for his resignation are off the mark.
''It is fine to have discussions as much as we can within the party and the Cabinet,'' Kan said. ''But we can't escape from these issues and there is no doubt about that.''
Speaking to the press on Thursday, Matsuki reiterated his dissatisfaction with the way the DPJ leadership is treating Ozawa, widely regarded as the architect of the party's rise to power in September 2009.
Matsuki is one of the closest allies of Ozawa, who was indicted last month over a funds scandal. The DPJ leadership decided Tuesday to suspend Ozawa's party membership despite opposition among lawmakers associated with the former party leader.
The rift between pro- and anti-Ozawa lawmakers within the DPJ has been growing in recent weeks.
Sixteen lawmakers last week threatened to leave the DPJ's group in the lower house and act against the party line, including the possibility of voting against the budget bills in the ongoing Diet session.
(EDS: ADDING DETAILS)
Democratic Party of Japan lawmaker Kenko Matsuki resigned Thursday from a senior government post in protest at Prime Minister Naoto Kan's leadership, prompting opposition party lawmakers to say the eight-month-old government is on the brink of meltdown.
Matsuki, a parliamentary secretary at the farm ministry, turned in a letter of resignation addressed to Kan to Michihiko Kano, minister of agriculture, forestry and fisheries.
''I was asked by minister Kano to stay on in my post but my stance remains unchanged,'' Matsuki, a close ally of DPJ bigwig Ichiro Ozawa, told reporters.
Kan told reporters in the evening he had received the letter and accepted his resignation.
''It is very disappointing,'' said Kan, at a time when he is facing pressure to quit or dissolve the lower house for a general election.
Matsuki's move, which comes days after 16 DPJ lawmakers launched a revolt, is the latest sign of how unpopular Kan's government has become while Japan faces a host of pending issues.
Kan, whose Cabinet's public support rating has slipped below 20 percent, is at risk of failing to push through parliament bills necessary to implement the fiscal 2011 budget.
In addition to struggling to cope with rising tensions within the DPJ, Kan is fighting a steep uphill battle with opposition parties, which control the upper house and say that they would vote against the bills.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano said he deplores Matsuki's decision while the government as a whole is dealing with its response to a major earthquake that hit New Zealand's second-largest city Christchurch this week and many other important issues.
DPJ Secretary General Katsuya Okada criticized Matsuki, saying at a news conference that he should have had more resolve in taking up the post to do important work for the benefit of the people.
Nobuteru Ishihara, secretary general of the main opposition Liberal Democratic Party, said Matsuki's move is a ''sign'' that Kan's government is on the verge of collapse.
''When a big landslide happens, it first starts with many small rocks falling,'' Ishihara told reporters.
New Komeito party chief Natsuo Yamaguchi told a meeting of the second-largest opposition party that the DPJ is heading for ''self-destruction.''
Matsuki has criticized a number of government policies, arguing they run counter to the vision of the DPJ when it swept to power in 2009, ending the almost continuous grip on power for more than half a century by the LDP.
Matsuki has said it would be difficult for him to accept Kan's recent proactive stance on raising the consumption tax and joining talks for a U.S.-backed regional free trade agreement, known as the Trans-Pacific Partnership.
Kan told reporters that major agenda items such as advancing trade liberalization and tax and social security reforms need to be addressed by any government if Japan is to have a better future, signaling his determination to continue in office and that Matsuki's reasons for his resignation are off the mark.
''It is fine to have discussions as much as we can within the party and the Cabinet,'' Kan said. ''But we can't escape from these issues and there is no doubt about that.''
Speaking to the press on Thursday, Matsuki reiterated his dissatisfaction with the way the DPJ leadership is treating Ozawa, widely regarded as the architect of the party's rise to power in September 2009.
Matsuki is one of the closest allies of Ozawa, who was indicted last month over a funds scandal. The DPJ leadership decided Tuesday to suspend Ozawa's party membership despite opposition among lawmakers associated with the former party leader.
The rift between pro- and anti-Ozawa lawmakers within the DPJ has been growing in recent weeks.
Sixteen lawmakers last week threatened to leave the DPJ's group in the lower house and act against the party line, including the possibility of voting against the budget bills in the ongoing Diet session.
