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| China-Japan-Koreas |
| New Japan PM vows to tackle debt |
| 2010-06-09 |
| New Japanese leader Naoto Kan vowed to tackle Japan's huge public debt and keep ties with ally Washington on track as he launched a cabinet that also aims to sideline a scandal-tainted party power broker before an election. The choice of Kan, 63, as Japan's fifth premier in three years, has bolstered his Democratic Party's chances in an upper house election it needs to win to break free of a tiny partner and avoid having to find more allies to pass bills easily. The Democrats will stay in power regardless of the outcome of the upper house poll, expected in July, but a revamped coalition could complicate policymaking, depending on its composition. Coming off a six-month stint as finance minister, Kan appears committed to reining in a public debt that is already twice the size of the economy. His cabinet also seems united on the topic, except for banking minister Shizuka Kamei, who heads a tiny coalition party and likes big spending. Kan, who takes over after indecisive predecessor Yukio Hatoyama squandered sky-high support just eight months into office, gave the finance portfolio to fellow fiscal conservative Yoshihiko Noda. He also appointed like-minded former national strategy minister Yoshito Sengoku as chief cabinet secretary - the top government spokesman and an important policy coordinator. The next general election must be held by late 2013, and while the Democrats have pledged not to raise the 5 percent sales tax before then, party fiscal reformers want to state clearly their intention to do so before that vote takes place. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #1 ION TOPIX > MARINE MOVE NOT GUARANTEED. Reloc to Guam remains problematic despite election of new PM Kan; + NEW JAPAN PM KAN SEES US ALLIANCE AS BASIS FOR FOREIGN POLICY. * SAME > [TIME.com]WHY JAPAN + US CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT OKINAWA? |
| Posted by: JosephMendiola 2010-06-09 01:17 |