New PM faces divided Japan
Tuesday, 25 Sep 2007 10:19
Mr Abe's record has worsened Japanese divisions
Yasuo Fukuda has been confirmed as the new prime minister of Japan following Shinzo Abe's unexpected resignation earlier this month.
Mr Abe stepped down amid rumours of ill health on September 12th, prompting a hurried campaign between 71-year-old Mr Fukuda and former foreign minister Taro Aso.
Having won the leadership of his Liberal Democratic party on Sunday, Mr Fukuda today won 338 of 476 votes cast in the lower house election.
But the opposition Democratic party of Japan approved Ichiro Ozawa as prime minister in the upper house, which it controls after Mr Abe lost a landslide election in July.
With the two houses choosing different prime ministers the Japanese constitution approved the matter by giving the lower house precedence, confirming Mr Fukuda's appointment.
Analysts say the divide reflects the unstable nature of Japanese politics at present, caused by the poor record of Mr Abe's government.
They say Mr Fukuda's government will only survive until next spring when elections will have to be called, but the man himself has pledged to attempt to govern in spite of the challenging circumstances.
''I'm very moved... I am prepared to work with my heart and soul so that I can fully achieve this responsibility," the Kyodo news agency quoted him as saying after Sunday's vote.
Mr Fukuda is seen as a safe pair of hands with a doveish foreign policy stance.