Kan to stick to Hatoyama's policies including E. Asian community+

TOKYO, June 4 Kyodo -
Naoto Kan, who was voted in as leader of the ruling Democratic Party of Japan
and the country's new prime minister, said Friday he will stick to most of the
policies pursued so far by the DPJ-led government, including the formation of
an East Asian community.
In a policy speech for the DPJ leadership election, Kan, 63, also reiterated
that Japan-U.S. relations are the cornerstone of Japan's foreign policy and
that he is confident about realizing healthy finances as well as a ''strong''
economy.
He said he will continue to work on four key policies hammered out by his
predecessor Yukio Hatoyama -- creating an East Asian community as a regional
forum modeled on the European Union, cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 25
percent from 1990 levels by 2020, decentralizing Japan's administrative power
and enhancing public services.
''I will first make all-out efforts to address these four issues,'' he told DPJ
colleagues.
He also said he will aim to restore public confidence that has been damaged by
a series of funding scandals involving DPJ lawmakers, including outgoing party
Secretary General Ichiro Ozawa.
Having served as deputy prime minister and finance minister in the Hatoyama
Cabinet, which resigned en masse Friday morning, Kan said he will seek to
implement well-developed social welfare services amid the graying of Japanese
society.
In a policy statement released earlier in the day, Kan also said he will seek
to reduce the costs of national public servants through drastic administrative
reform and ban political donations from companies and organizations, while
cooperating with the Bank of Japan to pull the nation out of deflation.
On resolving a row over the relocation of the U.S. Marine Corps' Futenma Air
Station in Okinawa Prefecture, Kan later said at his first press conference
after being elected premier in parliament that he will adhere to the Japan-U.S.
agreement made last week to keep the base in the island prefecture.
The accord is a promise between countries and should be respected, he said,
while adding that he will redouble his efforts to ease the burden on Okinawa of
hosting U.S. military forces.
He vowed to enact legislation to review the ongoing postal privatization
process during the current Diet session through June 16.
Although Kan declined to comment on whether he will extend the parliamentary
session to do so, party sources said that he is considering extending it by
about two weeks to secure the passage of the key bill advocated by Shizuka
Kamei, leader of the DPJ's junior coalition partner -- the People's New Party.
Among other policies, Kan said he will resurrect a DPJ policy research council,
which was effectively abolished by Ozawa, to ensure smooth policy coordination
between the government and the ruling party.
With regard to his envisioned Cabinet and the DPJ's new leadership, Kan said
that he needs ''some time'' to create a ''well-organized team'' for the Cabinet
and for the DPJ.
Although a few names have already been floated as possible candidates for the
Cabinet, Kan said he has left the roster ''completely blank.''
==Kyodo
2010-06-04 23:38:59