Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori who is often vilified as a symbol of Japan's pork barrel politics and economic inertia, has indicated to party elders that he would resign, possibly next month.
The five main powerbrokers of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) disclosed Mori's intentions almost a year after the same kind of group chose Mori as prime minister.
Japanese Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori
With Mori's popularity rating down to single digits and Japan's stock market at its lowest in 15 years, the LDP elders announced a face-saving formula that will allow the prime minister to bow out by announcing early elections for the party's presidency which had been scheduled for September.
The formula also will permit Mori to go ahead with a visit to Washington on March 19 to meet President Bush. He would then travel to Irkutsk in Siberia to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin on March 25 in a summit that Mori had hoped would lead to the elusive peace treaty Russia and Japan have never signed after World War II.
Ever since he took over as the country's leader, Mori has tried to win abroad the success that eluded him at home.
LDP Secretary General Makoto Koga said the prime minister had told the party elders, "I myself, as party president, must search my soul over the various scandals and the people's loss of confidence in our party." The statement fell short of giving a resignation date. "While taking full responsibility as prime minister, I will discuss the specific date (of the party presidential election) at a later date," Mori said.
For months, speculation about Mori's resignation has been the major issue in Japan as the economy sliding deeper into recession by the month. Whether Mori would stay or resign eclipsed more urgent economic issues.
Mori survived two no-confidence votes in parliament and apparently became convinced he would regain popularity as soon as the economy turned around. Instead he was blamed for the recession.
Under his stewardship the LDP lost a third of its seats in the Diet (Lower House) elections last year. The party also lost credibility after two of Mori's Cabinet ministers and close allies were involved in corruption scandals. Many LDP members and their coalition partners have made it plain they did not want to go into the Upper House elections in July with Mori at the helm.
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