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Yasuo Fukuda: Japan's new ruling party leader, would-be PM

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2007-09-23 15:32

TOKYO -- Yasuo Fukuda was elected as the new president of Japan's ruling
Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) on Sunday. The 71-year-old veteran
politician is on the way to succeed the outgoing Prime Minister Shinzo
Abe on Tuesday.

Former chief cabinet secretary Yasuo Fukuda (C) bows to parliamentarians
of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party after he was chosen as the party
president at the LDP parliamentarian meeting, at the party headquarters
in Tokyo September 23, 2007. [Reuters]

Fukuda beat his only rival, LDP secretary general Taro Aso, winning 330
votes out of the total 527 valid votes from Diet lawmakers and
prefectural chapters.

Fukuda, the son of the late premier Takeo Fukuda, entered the political
field as his father's secretary. The two Fukudas will be the first
father-son premiers in Japan's politics. Almost two decades older than
Abe, Yasuo is expected by analysts to be a mild-mannered, stable leader
with better capability in managing politics and crisis.

Fukuda, from central Gunma prefecture, worked in an oil company for 17
years after he graduated from the renowned Waseda University. He was
first elected to parliament in 1990 when he was 53.

He served as chief cabinet secretary under Yoshiro Mori and Koizumi's
administrations with a combined tenure of three and a half years, the
longest among top government spokespersons. In May 2003, Fukuda resigned
after he admitted the failure to pay pension premiums.

Though enjoying rather high popularity, Fukuda declined to run in the LDP
presidential election last year to succeed former premier Junichiro
Koizumi. He threw his hat into the ring earlier this month in the
hastily-called election after Abe's sudden resignation.

As the LDP controls the House of the Representatives, which has the final
say in choosing the prime minister, Fukuda has been practically assured
of the premiership.

Fukuda, advocating a foreign policy which values ties with neighboring
countries, holds that the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue and the
abduction issue should be handled through dialogue. He also said that he
would not visit the Yasukuni Shrine, where top war criminals are honored
together with other war dead.

One imminent issue the new premier will have to handle is to pass a law
to continue Japan's refueling mission in the Indian Ocean for US-led
operations. Fukuda said Friday that it is "the major pillar of Japan's
cooperation in international peacekeeping operations." He called for a
new law as the current law, which expires on November 1, is difficult to
extend in time.

On the pension system issue, Fukuda indicated that he would be willing to
talk with opposition parties and discuss how to reform it.

According to the Yomiuri Shimbun newspaper, Fukuda is likely to keep key
Cabinet ministers in his new administration, which include foreign,
finance and defense ministers. The parliament is scheduled to vote for a
new prime minister on Tuesday after the current Cabinet resigns en masse.
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Fukuda is married to Kiyoko and they have three children. One of their
sons now is his secretary.

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