Calls For Japanese PM To Quit Grow In Aftermath Of Quake

As Japan struggles to recover following the disastrous earthquake of last month, it now seems that the country’s fragile political truce is now unravelling. The news comes today as the head of the main opposition party called on Prime Minister Naoto Kan to step down over his handling of the current natural disaster and consequent nuclear crisis.



Meanwhile, work continues at the stricken Fukushima Daiichi plant in the northeast of the country to try and keep the six crippled reactors cool. Engineers have encountered a fresh problem as a large amount of radioactive worker is now keeping them from being able to reach an internal cooling system to reconnect it. The system was destroyed by the devastating tsunami on March 11.



The country’s Prime Minister, Mr Kan who holds about 30 percent of the public support called on other politicians to help him create a coalition in a bid to help the country recover from what is thought to be its worst natural disaster ever. The incredibly expensive reconstruction project is thought to be the biggest since World War Two.



The Prime Minister’s Democratic Party currently controls parliament’s lower house but as they do not hold the majority in the upper chamber requires opposition help to pass bills. This issue can sometimes block legislation and cause problems.



The coalition had seemed to be working but the head of the main opposition Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) today pressured Kan to step down.



Mr Sadakazu Tanigaki was quoted as telling Kyodo news agency that: "The time has come for (the prime minister) to decide whether he stays or goes."



This view is shared not only by Mr Tanigaki but also by many of his conservative party. They say that Kan must stand down as a precondition for any coalition and they also hoped that any criticism of the Prime Minister from within his own Democratic Party will force him out. This comes after party powerbroker Ichiro Ozawa slated Kan over his handling of the earthquake crisis and the devastating aftermath.



Criticism of the Prime Minister has come from a range of sources including Upper House speaker Takeo Nishioka, a well-known Kan critic from the Democrats who also urged Mr Kan to give up his position.



However, Kan, the country’s fifth leader since 2006, took office last June is not likely to take the criticism lying down. He is not likely to step down easily and many of the opposition parties put themselves in the firing line should they try to take disaster budgets hostage in a political battle.



References:



Japanese Democratic Party



Prime Minister of Japan