PM candidates visit Hatoyama to garner support
TOKYO —
Two candidates in the DPJ presidential election, expected to be held at the end of this month, visited former Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama to explain their policies and garner support. After the meetings, Hatoyama visited former DPJ leader Ichiro Ozawa, but no details of their meeting were revealed afterwards.
The support of Hatoyama, and especially Ozawa, who heads the DPJ’s largest faction with 140 members, is seen as crucial in the election which will choose a successor to Prime Minister Naoto Kan.
In his meeting with Hatoyama, Finance Minister Yoshihiko Noda, 54, explained his stance on a tax hike to finance reconstruction efforts in the tsunami-hit areas. Agriculture Minister Michiko Kano, 69, also met Hatoyama in the afternoon and said that he felt resolving the nuclear issue and dealing with the global economic crisis were the two biggest challenges facing Japan right now.
The DPJ leasdership election is expected tobe held on Aug 28 or Aug 29.
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18 Comments
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4
sillygirl
oh this is rich - visiting loopy hatoyama and criminal ozawa - these are the leaders of japan? doomed.
3
minello7
This only confirms the only fair solution would be to dissolve the present parliament and have a general election. Now is the time for the people of Japan to face reality the about japanese politics and its antiquated system. Let them choose their own fate, they can't do any worse that letting someone run the country who has gone to Ozawa and Hatoyama for help,now that is the joke of the day.
0
globalwatcher
It is so funny to see a political ritual in DPJ rom the other side of globe. They all have to get an endorsement from these two Godfathers ; Mr. Slicky (Ozawa) and "I-am-still-n-space-cadet" (Mr. Hatoyama). Japan tanked.
0
smithinjapan
So in other words, nothing is going to change because whomever gets in power will do so with Ozawa (and his trusty side-kick 'loopy'!) pulling the strings to an extent. Hilarious how they have to ask two people who quit on their jobs (Hatoyama twice, before reneging the second time) for advice and endorsement. Only in Japan!
0
globalwatcher
I think I am getting a whole picture now. No wonder Maehara still remains as an undecided candidate. He needs an endorsement from these Godfathers first. He better wait until next general election then.
0
Foxie
If the DPJ is so strongly controlled by those two,then the people of Japan need a different party.
2
whiskeysour
If Hatoyama & twin brother Ozawa are the jey decision makers in Japan, Japan is totally DOOMED !!!!!
Hatoyama is " SOFT " like bread and Ozawa is "a FESTERING PIMPLE " that won't go away.
When these to get together they spout verbal diarrea !!!!!
0
globalwatcher
@Foxie, too many parties already exist without a true representation for people. Now, I can see why Kan was forced to resign. Well, Kan needs to write a book about his experience in J. politics .
0
Asagao
Finally we have a new leader with an amazing ability to understand what is going on -not!
0
wanderlust
Mama's boy Pigeon Mountain, receiving 15, 000, 000 yen each from his mother that he still knows nothing about; and fixer Ozawa, who still claims ignorance of 400,000,000 yen in under the table payments for approving construction contracts in one area alone.
Determining the future of Japan between them, and one of them will request to be finance minister!
1
GW
this illustrates exactly why japan continues its downward spiral, to have so many useless ex PMs who were total losers still have any power beyond their own single votes shows Japan at its digusting lowest levels & we aint near the bottom yet.
0
zurcronium
Kan could not get Ozawa out of the DPJ, it was impossible. And now of course Ozawa gets to pick the next PM. Hatapopo is a joke, no one takes him seriously at all. Ozawa controls Japan now, as was his dream for many decades.
The only good thing one can say is that the LDP is much, much worse. That party is why Japan is fading so badly. Example, letting Tepco do whatever it wanted for decades without concern for safety.
-1
plasticmonkey
They all kissed Ozawa's ring and vowed to always be ready to change political direction based on the whims of politicians and bureaucrats' egos, their grudges, their schoolyard tiffs, their grudges and rich-boy neuroses, their greed for money and power, or how they feel in the morning. Politics first, policy last.
0
tmarie
Pathetic. Can't these party members decide for themselves instead of listening to these pathetic "men"?
0
John Becker
Look at Japanese history. The Emperor was never the one with the power, it was always a cabal of "advisors" behind the Emperor who ran everything. Ozawa and Hatoyama are the power brokers who control the DPJ. Kan has refused to be their puppet (at least to some degree); that's why he's being forced out.
0
ExportExpert
Take note people of japan can you still not see behind the mask of corruption and deceit laid on you by those in power?
Japan is doomed as it's people are too stupid or scared to do anything other than let these scumbags do as they please.
-1
herefornow
GW -- spot on. Kiss goodby at least the next two years for sure, since it will take that long for the new PM to: come in and select a cabinet; demonstrate complete incompetence; shuffle his cabinet a couple of times to try to stall for time; and, then ,finally, either resign due to low support, or call an election. This is the cycle that Japan has fallen into. And Japan simply cannot afford to lose another two years at this critical time. If anything, that downward spiral to refer to is going to increase rather than lessen.
0
BessonovYan
@globalwatcherAug. 21, 2011 - 08:02AM JST
Don't worry about it. That situation in all countries of the world: USA, China, EU and Russia too. Each country has own 'Godfathers'. Absolutely democrat can be only in a theory book about it.
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