Japan Chooses Next Prime Minister

ANCHOR:
Japan's ruling party chose outspoken nationalist, Taro Aso, by a landslide on Monday. He is due to become the next prime minister on Wednesday. Heres more.

STORY:
Aso picked up five times the number votes of his nearest rival in the election among LDP lawmakers and party branches.

Some argue that Aso's victory was highly predictable.

[Emiko Murata, Student]:
"I think it's wrong that Aso was a done deal and that everyone knew the result even before the election.

Critics had charged the contest was just a show to appeal to voters ahead of an expected early general election.

The LDP leader is assured the premiership by virtue of the governments majority in parliament's powerful lower house, which is due to vote in a new prime minister on Wednesday.

Mr. Aso is an advocate of spending and tax cuts to boost the economy.He will take over the reins from Yasuo Fukuda, who quit suddenly this month.

There is now an urgent need to revive the world's second biggest economy, despite the constraints of its huge public debt. But some Japanese feel confident that Aso can pull it off.

[Ryuji Seto, Businessman]:
"Aso seems to be able to balance politics, ideology, and business very well. These factors tend to go against each other, but since he knows them very well, he will likely to handle it very well."

Although an outspoken nationalist, Aso will likely stick to Fukuda's line on foreign policy. It is expected that he would work on solidifying Japan's security alliance with the U.S. and improving relations with China.

Aso regularly tops voter surveys for the next prime minister, making him the LDP's natural choice in next September's general election.

Category:

News & Politics

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