Japan’s leadership contest in final phase

Press, 9 October 1987, Page 6

Japan’s leadership contest in final phase

NZPA-Reuter Tokyo The least popular candidate looks set to win the race for the Japanese Premiership later this month, but with everyone agreed that the policies of those in the running are almost identical, it may not make much difference. The Prime Minister, Yasuhlro Nakasone, is due to step down at the end of October after five years in power and in international terms at least it will be a very difficult act to follow, Western diplomats said. Mr Nakasone, with his high-profile style, his willingness to speak his mind and a directness appreciated by leaders of the West, may have changed the very nature of the job, some suspect. The front runner is Noboru Takeshita, aged 63, a former Finance Minister, who has consistently come last in popularity opinions polls in the past few weeks. He is viewed by many as having too little jgperience in af-

‘fairs while his stress on forming a consensus on major policies before moving forward is seen by some as out-dated following the more active example of Mr Nakasone. The choice of Prime Minister is not one in which the public is invited to participate. The election Is for the

presidency of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), a post which automatically carries with it the premiership, as the party holds a majority of seats in the Parliament. Mr Nakasone’s successor will probably be chosen through tough back-room negotiations between the factions which make up the LDP, with power, influence and connections being the deciding factors. Policies will hardly be considered. "The system of choosing the Prime Minister is in effect not at all democratic, but the, other side of the coin is that up to now at least it hasn’t mattered so much who was Prime Minister,” said one Western diplomat "But Nakasone has given foreigners a higher expectation of what a Japanese Prime Minister should do, which will be pretty hard for any of his sucdMsors to fulfil,” he add>

Campaigning against Mr Takeshita are a former Foreign Minister, Shintaro Abe, and current Finance Minister, Kiichi Miyazawa. All three have pledged to continue the policies of Mr Nakasone, to improve Japan’s sensitive relations with the United States and cut the country’s Muge trade surplus with thw rest

of the world. “Takeshita places a greater emphasis on consensus while Miyazawa is more of an ideas man with a political style closer to that of Nakasone,” said one diplomat “Abe falls between the two, which is both his strength and his weakness,” he added. Mr Takeshita unveiled his political platform on Monday and while he agreed that his political policies differed little from those of his opponents, he stressed that he would avoid, Mr Nakasone’s "presidential-style” of leadership. Some people suggest that by avoiding Mr Nakasone’s innovative approach of leading from the front in favour of a consensus approach, Mr Takeshita will be able to get more done. “If Takeshita is chosen, he will start off with stronger backing within the party, and may be better able to push through political objec-

fives he wants,” said one diplomat “The risk is that the need to attain consensus may conflict on occasion with Japan’s international responsibilities.” The press reaction to all three political platforms has been tepid. One newspaper said all three were “too abstract and lacking in Individuality” while another said none of the candidates had the power and appeal of Mr Nakasone. “A change of Government does not always necessitate a change of policy, but a candidate should project a fresh image which can attract the people,” said the “Daily Yomiuri.” The result is that no matter who wins the contest, Mr Nakasone is likely to be widely missed. “There are ' many people who regret his departure,” said one diplomat “He had the feeling of someone you could do business with.” .