Japan PM Abe still in pinch over minister's gaffe

Tokyo, Feb 5: Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's health minister said today he wanted to stick to his job despite a furore after he referred to women as ''birth giving machines'', but pressure on him to resign looked unlikely to fade.

Abe's ruling camp avoided a devastating double defeat in two local elections yesterday that had been widely viewed as key to Health Minister Hakuo Yanagisawa's fate.

But a fresh survey showed Abe's own popularity had suffered a further hit after the minister's gaffe last week -- more bad news for his Liberal Democratic Party and its junior coalition partner ahead of an upper house election in July.

''I want to make every effort to carry out the duties I have been given,'' Kyodo news agency quoted Yanagisawa as telling reporters today morning.

Opposition parties persisted in their boycott of hearings on an extra budget for the year to March 31. The opposition has insisted it will not join debate unless Yanagisawa resigns.

Leaders of the main opposition Democratic Party and two small allies were expected to meet early this week to discuss whether to shift tactics and return to parliament once debate begins on the full budget for the fiscal year from April 1.

A senior party official said yesterday that submitting a no-confidence resolution against Yanagisawa was one option.

While the LDP-led coalition avoided a worst-case scenario when incumbent Governor Masaaki Kanda was reelected in Aichi prefecture in central Japan, analysts and media said the fact that the race had been close meant a win was cold comfort.

Opposition candidate Kenji Kitahashi won the race for mayor of Kitakyushu City in southern Japan.

''Looking at the 'floating vote' and considering nationwide local elections in April and the July upper house poll, the LDP realises it will be difficult to keep Yanagisawa on,'' said Yasunori Sone, a political scientist at Keio University in Tokyo.

''Floating voters'' who shun affiliation with any political party are increasingly important in Japanese elections. Domestic media said opposition candidates in yesterday's polls attracted support from more than half of such voters.

''But if Yanagisawa is forced to quit, Abe will come under fire for changing his position,'' Sone added. ''The only way out is for Yanagisawa to quit on his own.'' Abe himself has apologised for Yanagisawa's comment but insisted there is no need for him to resign.

The fuss over Yanagisawa's remark is the latest in a string of missteps to plague Abe, whose leadership has come in question ahead of the July election.

A weekend opinion poll by Kyodo showed that public support for the 52-year-old leader had slid to about 40 per cent, almost 25 points below the level when he took office in September.

Another potential problem for Abe emerged on Sunday when media quoted Foreign Minister Taro Aso as criticising US policy in Iraq, calling its occupation strategy ''immature''.

The remarks could fray ties with Washington following several controversial comments by the defence minister and ahead of US Vice President Dick Cheney's February 20-22 visit to Japan.

Reuters

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