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Japans Likely Next Premier in Hawkish Stand
Shinzo Abe, the nationalist politician who is expected to become Japans next prime minister, said Friday that Japan should revise the pacifist Constitution imposed on it by the United States. He made the statement as he formally declared his candidacy for the presidency of the governing Liberal Democratic Party, a post that would give him the prime ministership. Mr. Abe, the chief cabinet secretary, also said Japan should seek a larger role in the world and further strengthen its alliance with the United States.As the next L.D.P. president, Id like to take the lead to put revision of the Constitution on the political agenda, Mr. Abe said at a regional party convention in Hiroshima. Id like to draft a new Constitution with my own hands, he added. Mr. Abe is almost certain to succeed Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, who according to party rules will retire later this month. The Liberal Democrats control the lower house of Parliament, which chooses the prime minister. Two other politicians have declared their candidacy in the party election of Sept. 20: Taro Aso, the hawkish foreign minister, and Sadakazu Tanigaki, the finance minister, who has emphasized repairing Japans strained relations with China and South Korea. But polls indicate that neither has a chance of mounting a serious challenge against Mr. Abe, who remains the leading choice of the general public and, more important, the party lawmakers and members who will cast the votes. Mr. Koizumi is said to have long favored Mr. Abe, whom he appointed as the chief cabinet secretary, the governments second most visible position after prime minister. Recently, as Mr. Koizumis interest in government seemed to wane in his last weeks in office, Mr. Abe appeared to have already grabbed the baton. His image as Mr. Koizumis heir apparent was further solidified after North Korea tested long-range missiles in early July. The perceived threat from North Korea played to Mr. Abes strengths as a hawk, and he wasted no time in suggesting that Japan, a pacifist nation, should debate whether it should acquire the military capacity for a pre-emptive strike. More at link Posted by: ryuge 2006-09-02 |
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