Opposition camp to step up attacks on Aso after Nakagawa's resignation+

TOKYO, Feb. 17 Kyodo - Opposition parties have set their sights on intensifying attacks on Prime
Minister Taro Aso following the resignation Tuesday of Finance Minister Shoichi
Nakagawa, expressing their intention to push the Japanese leader to take
responsibility for appointing Nakagawa as a Cabinet minister.

The ruling parties, meanwhile, were shocked by Nakagawa's resignation over his
seemingly drunken behavior following an international conference in Rome over
the weekend, fearing that the move may deal a further blow to the battered Aso
administration.
On Aso's telling Nakagawa on Monday to continue working as finance minister,
Ichiro Ozawa, leader of the main opposition Democratic Party of Japan,
criticized the prime minister for not realizing how serious the problem was.
''People are dumbfounded,'' Ozawa told reporters. ''It is time to seek the
people's judgment especially when such a situation occurs,'' he said, calling
on the prime minister to dissolve the House of Representatives for a general
election.
Mizuho Fukushima, leader of the Social Democratic Party, said, ''The Aso
Cabinet, which has appointed friends to important posts, cannot gain people's
trust anymore. We will pursue the prime minister's responsibility for
appointing him (Nakagawa).''
Meanwhile, Akihiro Ota, leader of the New Komeito party, the ruling Liberal
Democratic Party's junior coalition partner, expressed the view that Nakagawa's
resignation will have a negative impact on the Aso administration.
''A press conference like that is impermissible,'' Ota told reporters,
referring to Nakagawa's behavior at a briefing in the Italian capital following
a financial leaders' meeting there. ''It is regrettable but cannot be helped.
He (Aso) of course bears responsibility for appointing him (Nakagawa).''
The resignation ''will cause damage to the government,'' Ota said, adding that
although he wants the administration to focus on enacting the budget,
''extremely unfortunate situations are continuing to take place.''
Some members of the LDP raised questions over Aso's stance, with a
middle-ranking LDP lawmaker saying the prime minister's response ''fell
behind'' as he tried to protect Nakagawa.
Others expressed concern about whether the administration can remain in power
amid sliding support rates. A senior LDP lawmaker said, ''The Cabinet approval
rate is likely to fall again. The focus will be whether the Aso Cabinet will
continue rather than the timing of (lower house) dissolution.''
Another middle-ranking LDP lawmaker said the resignation was ''unavoidable as
he gave a bad account of himself.''
Meanwhile, LDP executives defended Nakagawa, with LDP Secretary General
Hiroyuki Hosoda telling reporters, ''I feel like he has fallen prey to
opposition parties' moves to delay deliberations on matters such as the fiscal
2009 budget.''
Tadamori Oshima, Diet affairs chief of the LDP, also said, ''He did not make
mistakes in policies. His physical condition had its limits.''
Opposition parties, which have decided to refuse holding deliberations on the
fiscal 2009 budget unless Nakagawa resigns, now plan to agree to participate in
the debates in parliament.
But a senior DPJ lawmaker engaged in Diet affairs expressed the view that the
lower house passage of the budget would be delayed considerably, because
Economic and Fiscal Policy Minister Kaoru Yosano has been appointed as new
finance minister.
''As he is now a new finance minister, he should start over with a policy
speech'' to the Diet, the DPJ lawmaker said.
Nakagawa's supporters and residents in his constituency in Hokkaido were
disappointed with the development, while some harshly criticized him for
causing ''embarrassment.''
A 63-year-old housewife in Obihiro, Hokkaido, expressed disappointment, saying,
''He was always dashing. I wanted him to work hard because he became a
minister.''
Taxi driver Takashi Ito, 52, said, ''It can't be helped because he embarrassed
himself in front of the world. But I suppose he was in a poor physical
condition.''
Company employee Kanji Noda, 60, said angrily, ''He is an embarrassment to the
local area. He always appeared as if he was drunk and he is a failure not only
as a minister but also as a member of society.''
An office of Nakagawa's local support group said it has received more than 100
telephone calls encouraging him and expressing concern about his health.
Toshinobu Arizuka, chairman of the group, said, ''It is extremely regrettable,
but he will continue to work as a lawmaker. We want to encourage him prior to
the election.''
==Kyodo