Top post for former negotiator

Press, 7 December 1978, Page 1

Top post for former negotiator

NZPA Hong Kong A former Japanese Minister of Agriculture, who crossed verbal swords with the Prime Minister (Mr Muldoon) during the New Zealand “fish-for-beef” trade dispute with Japan, is likely to be given what is effectively Japan’s second-most effective political post. He is Mr Zenko Suzuki, who is tipped to become Secretary-General of the ruling Liberal-Democratic Party (L.D.P.) when Mr Masayoshi Ohira assumes the Prime Ministership. Mr Suzuki is widely known in Tokyo as a wily political campaigner. Early this year he rejected an offer from Mr Takeo Fukuda to return to the Tokyo Cabinet. The former Agriculture Minister told Mr Fukuda then that he intended to work for Mr Ohira’s elevation to the L.D.P. presidency and succession as Prime Minister. Mr Ohira was SecretaryGeneral of the L.D.P. when he made his successful bid to topple Mr Fukuda as leader of the L.D.P. Mr Suzuki, as Minister of Agriculture, negotiated with New Zealand’s Minister of Overseas Trade (Mr Taiboys) late last year in a bid to reach an agreement on the New ZealandJapan dispute.