Hatoyama Cabinet Resigns

Tokyo, June 4 (Jiji Press)--Embattled Japanese Prime Minister Yukio
Hatoyama and all his cabinet ministers resigned Friday morning.
Hatoyama served as top leader of the government for 262 days, the
fifth-shortest tenure among all Japanese prime ministers since the nation's
current constitution entered into force in 1947.
The resignation of Hatoyama and the cabinet members came ahead of a
crucial House of Councillors election expected for July.
The life of the Hatoyama cabinet was one day shorter than that of
the administration of Morihiro Hosokawa, who became prime minister in August
1993 to break the Liberal Democratic Party's uninterrupted rule since 1955.
Hatoyama served as deputy chief cabinet secretary under the
Hosokawa cabinet that lasted until April 1994.
The grandson of Ichiro Hatoyama, who served as prime minister for
about two years in the 1950s, led his Democratic Party of Japan to a
landslide victory in the August 2009 election for the House of
Representatives, the powerful lower chamber.
In September, Hatoyama launched his three-way coalition government
with the Social Democratic Party and the People's New Party, grabbing power
from the previous LDP-led government.
Hatoyama promised to establish politicians' leadership in the
government, which has often been criticized as being heavily controlled by
bureaucrats.
The DPJ-led government carried out such novel steps as "shiwake," a
review of projects at government agencies and state-affiliated organizations
aimed at eliminating wasteful fiscal spending.
After making a strong start, however, the administration quickly
lost steam due partly to political funding scandals involving Hatoyama
himself and DPJ kingpin Ichiro Ozawa.
Also owing to his poor handling of the issue of relocation of the
U.S. Marine Corps' Futenma air station in Okinawa Prefecture, southern
Japan, public support ratings for the Hatoyama cabinet have recently tumbled
to around 20 pct.
The base issue gave rise to a feud within the coalition, leading to
the SDP's departure from the ruling camp last month.
The base dispute and the money scandals led Hatoyama to decide on
his resignation on Wednesday.
The DPJ will hold a meeting of its lawmakers from both chambers of
parliament later in the day to elect its next leader succeeding Hatoyama.
Naoto Kan, who served as finance minister and deputy prime minister
under the Hatoyama cabinet, and Shinji Tarutoko, chairman of the Lower House
Environment Committee, are seen to run in the party contest. Kan, a Lower
House member, is widely expected to win the race.
Following the DPJ election, parliamentary votes will be held in the
day's afternoon to elect Japan's new prime minister. The coming leader is
expected to form a new cabinet Friday.

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