Japanese prime minister, powerful challenger vie for support ahead of party vote

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Japan’s PM, powerful challenger vie for top job

TOKYO — Japan’s prime minister and a powerful challenger wooed fellow party members ahead of a vote Tuesday that could bring the country a new leader in the face of pressing economic and international concerns.

Prime Minister Naoto Kan appeared to have a slight edge over party kingpin Ichiro Ozawa ahead of the election, in which members of the ruling Democratic Party will choose their party president, who almost certainly will then become the nation’s leader.

If Ozawa wins, he would become Japan’s third prime minister in a year.

The two men’s policy stances are modestly different, but they have widely different public images. Kan is far more popular with the general public and is seen as an upbeat grass-roots reformer, while Ozawa is viewed as a somber powerbroker and old-school master strategist.

Kan spoke to hundreds of supporters at a weekend rally in Tokyo, emphasizing his broad popular appeal.

“We will finally begin working on the core of true reforms for Japan,” he said.

Both candidates are focused on leading Japan out of its economic morass. Ozawa favors spending more to stimulate the economy and intervening in currency markets to the halt the yen’s rise. Kan is more concerned about fiscal responsibility and has stressed the need to create more jobs.

“Even in a major city like Tokyo, if you stray a bit you will find many closed shops,” Ozawa told reporters as he visited a small shopping street in the capital.

Recent polls have shown Kan to have more support among Japan’s fickle voters. He currently has the backing of about two-thirds of the public, according to a survey by Kyodo News agency released Saturday.

But the leadership decision will be made by party members, not the general public.

After voting by rank-and-file party members and local politicians closed Saturday, attention shifted to the 411 Democratic members of parliament, who have more weight and will cast their votes Tuesday.

While Kan is stronger among regular party members and local lawmakers, Ozawa has deep support in parliament, where many are beholden to him for helping start their political careers. Ozawa was the main architect of the Democrats’ rise to power last year.

“New members of parliament are truly torn between being indebted to Ozawa from the election, and the opinion of their own supporters at home and voters, but I hope that in the end they choose based on the will of the people,” lawmaker Yuichi Goto, who supports Kan, said during a debate Sunday on public broadcaster NHK.

Kan became prime minister just three months ago after his predecessor, Yukio Hatoyama, abruptly quit over a failed campaign promise to move a U.S. Marine base off of the southern island of Okinawa. Kan has indicated the base will stay on the island despite widespread opposition, while Ozawa has said he may reopen negotiations with the U.S. on the issue.

Tokyo must also deal with an increasingly assertive China, which has challenged Japanese vessels at sea. The two countries are currently embroiled in a diplomatic row over a Chinese fishing boat that collided with two Japanese patrol vessels near islands claimed by both countries.