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Japanese PM Shinzo Abe quits
12/09/2007 07:13 - (SA)
Tokyo - Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has announced his resignation, following a series of scandals involving his cabinet and a recent election drubbing.
The premier told LDP secretary general Taro Aso on Wednesday he had decided to step down because he feels he has "no ability to exercise leadership in parliament," public broadcaster NHK reported.
Abe, Japan's first premier born after World War II, and at 52 the youngest in modern times, took office last year with pledges to end legacies of defeat, including by rewriting the US-imposed pacifist constitution.
But his approval ratings have nosedived amid public perceptions he lacked authority following a raft of scandals, including massive mismanagement of the pension system - a sensitive issue in a rapidly ageing country.
The resurgent opposition has being doing its utmost to block his reforms as well as legislation to extend a controversial military mission providing refuelling support to US-led operations in Afghanistan.
Abe has staked his job on the need to extend the mandate for the mission, which polls show is unpopular with voters.
Censure motions
Opposition leader Ichiro Ozawa of the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) has vowed to use his bloc's new-found power in parliament to fight against Tokyo's logistical backing for US forces.
The opposition has also been expected to seek symbolic censure motions against the scandal-hit cabinet ministers and possibly Abe himself.
Abe brought in party veterans to take up key positions in his cabinet after a
major upper-house election defeat in July.
But just one week later his new farm minister resigned over financial wrongdoing.
Abe enjoyed a brief boost in his public approval ratings after the cabinet reshuffle in late August.
But the rebound was short-lived with his cabinet's approval rating now back at just 29%, close to the level seen soon after his party's July election mauling, according to a weekend survey by the Yomiuri newspaper.
Aso, the LDP secretary general and a former foreign minister known for his blunt, conservative views, is seen as one of the front-runners to replace Abe.
- AFP
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