Ozawa says he will stake political life as DPJ leader race intensifies+

TOKYO, Sept. 4 Kyodo -
Democratic Party of Japan heavyweight Ichiro Ozawa said Saturday he would stake
his political life on serving as the nation's leader, while Prime Minister
Naoto Kan reiterated his resolve to revitalize the nation's economy by creating
jobs, as the two contenders sought to garner support in the party's leadership
race.
''I will strive to work for you by staking my entire political life,'' Ozawa
said in a joint event with Kan to give campaign speeches in Tokyo's Shinjuku
district in the afternoon.
Ozawa also said he is ready to fulfill duties as prime minister, saying,
''Japan's prime minister will be chosen in the (party) election. I should not
avoid responsibility at a time when the nation is facing great political and
economic difficulties.''
Ozawa reiterated that he will bring about a shift of control over
decision-making to politicians from the country's bureaucrats to implement the
pledges the DPJ made before its lower house election victory a year ago.
In responding to Ozawa's criticism over the way to compile the fiscal 2011
budget, Kan, who is seeking reelection as head of the party in the Sept. 14
leadership race, said in the joint event that he will come up with a budget
designed to boost the nation's economy.
''I will definitely create jobs and compile the fiscal 2011 budget aimed at
revitalizing the nation's economy,'' Kan said.
He also pledged to improve cooperation between politicians, bureaucrats and
business to better serve the general public.
It is the first weekend since official campaigning for the party election began
on Wednesday. Kan and Ozawa are seeking to garner support from rank-and-file
party members and party supporters who will be eligible to vote in the election
in addition to 412 DPJ lawmakers and local assembly members belonging to the
party.
The two plan to hold a joint event for campaign speeches in Osaka on Sunday and
in Sapporo on Thursday.
In the morning, Kan attended a meeting in Tokyo of lawmakers and others who
support him in the DPJ race and said that the election should be held in such a
way as to reflect the general public's views on who they would prefer to be the
nation's prime minister.
Kan said he wants ''to achieve a politics that ensures the participation of
citizens,'' adding that the party election ''should be a race in which the
general public chooses the nation's prime minister.''
It is almost certain that the winner of the election will also be prime
minister because the DPJ holds a majority in the powerful lower house of
parliament.
==Kyodo
2010-09-04 23:15:41


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