Pressure mounts over Japan defence minister to quit

Tokyo, July 3: Pressure mounted on Japan's defence minister to resign for remarks that appeared to accept the 1945 US atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, when a ruling coalition partner said he should ''decide his own course'', a phrase that is often code for urging a politician to quit.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's support rates have already been slashed by outrage over government mishandling of pension records, and the remarks by Defence Minister Fumio Kyuma have only added to his headaches before a July 29 upper house poll.

''Mr Kyuma should be aware of what he has said and decide his own course,'' Kyodo news agency quoted Toshiko Hamayotsu, acting chief representative of the New Komeito, the junior partner in the coalition led by Abe's Liberal Democratic Party, as saying today.

Opposition parties, keen to press their advantage ahead of the poll, were seeking a meeting with Abe or his aides to press their demand that he fire the 66-year-old defence minister.

Abe can ill afford another furore as his ruling coalition heads into the upper house election.

A weekend survey by the Asahi newspaper showed Abe's support rate had slipped to 28 per cent from 31 per cent in the previous survey a week earlier the weakest result for the once popular leader since he came to office last September.

Kyuma has already built a reputation for verbal gaffes since taking office, angering Washington in January by calling the invasion of Iraq a mistake.

The defence minister apologised for his latest blunder again today. ''All I can do is apologise to the victims of the atomic bombings and to others not directly involved,'' Kyuma, whose election district includes the city of Nagasaki, told reporters.

Election Headache

He added that he also regretted making things harder for fellow ruling party lawmakers, who face tough battles in this month's election for parliament's upper house.

''I have previously said that nuclear arms are unpardonable and there is no change in my stance on that,'' Kyuma said.

More than 360,000 people ultimately died from the atomic blasts that hit Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945, days before Japan surrendered in World War Two.

The nuclear attacks hold a central role in Japan's collective memory of the war, and the country has been criticised for stressing its status as victim while failing to acknowledge its own war atrocities.

Kyuma has already been reprimanded by Abe and apologised for saying on Saturday that he thought the atomic bomb attacks on the two cities ''could not be helped.'' Nagasaki Mayor Tomihisa Taue met Kyuma today morning and was to visit the prime minister's office later to protest against the defence minister's remarks.

Abe would not automatically have to step down if his coalition loses its majority in the upper house.

But a big loss would mean the ruling bloc could not enact legislation, which must be approved by both houses of parliament, threatening political paralysis and sparking calls for Abe to quit or even call a snap lower house election.

Reuters>