hueseo
Joined: 06 Jul 2011
Posts: 423
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 Posted: Tue Aug 30, 2011 1:31 am Post subject: Yoshihiko Noda becomes Japan's new prime minister |
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Japan's lower house of parliament has backed Yoshihiko Noda as the country's sixth prime minister in five years.
The vote came after the 54-year-old former finance minister secured the leadership of the ruling Democratic Party in a run-off on Monday.
Ex-PM Naoto Kan, criticised for his handling of the March quake, formally resigned with his cabinet beforehand.
Correspondents say the new PM faces a daunting agenda, including trying to unify a divided party.
The parliament's less powerful upper house, controlled by the opposition, must also vote. However, if it rejects Mr Noda, the lower house will vote a second time.
Large parts of Japan need to be rebuilt after March's earthquake and tsunami, and the crisis at the crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant still needs to be resolved.
Added to that, Mr Noda, a fiscal conservative, will need to address Japan's stagnant economy.
He has said in the past that he favours raising funds through increased taxation - including a doubling of Japan's sales tax, which currently stands at 5% - to cut debt and meet social security commitments.
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YOSHIHIKO NODA
Served under Naoto Kan as finance minister
Wants to double sales tax to 10% to meet social security spending commitments
Has not backed Naoto Kan's call for a nuclear-free Japan
Has stressed importance of Japan-US security alliance
Profile: Yoshihiko Noda
Unlike Mr Kan, he wants Japan's halted nuclear reactors to be restarted and has not backed his call for a nuclear-free Japan.
"Let us sweat together for the sake of the people," he said after the vote. "This is my heartfelt wish."
The DPJ won power in a general election in 2008, ending half a century of almost unbroken rule by the Liberal Democratic Party.
But it lost control of the upper house in polls in 2010 and has struggled to pass key legislation through parliament.
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Revolving door
Naoto Kan: (June 10-Aug 11) Criticised for handling of quake crisis
Yukio Hatoyama (Sep 09-Jun 10) Failed to keep election promise on Okinawa US base
Taro Aso (Sep 08-Sep 09) Famed for verbal gaffes, lost election
Yasuo Fukuda (Sep 07-Sep 0 Struggled to pass laws, after DPJ took control of upper house
Shinzo Abe (Sep 06-Sep 07) Unpopular government hit by scandal
Japan's revolving door
It has also been hit by in-fighting, with the leadership race turning into a bitter factional battle between supporters and enemies of tainted king-maker Ichiro Ozawa.
Mr Ozawa - who is known as the Shadow Shogun - commands the loyalty of around 130 lawmakers, despite awaiting trial on charges of misreporting political donations. He is currently suspended from the DPJ.
The public's favourite candidate, Mr Maehara, would have become Japan's youngest leader since World War II if elected.
Farm Minister Michihiko Kano and former Transport Minister Sumio Mabuchi were also in the leadership contest.
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