Prime Minister Abe Resigns
It had to happen sometime, right? Well, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has resigned, possibly moving over the LDP Secretary General position, recently filled by former Foreign Minister Taro Aso.
Is this a job swap? This must have been planned for a while. There’s no way Abe could have stepped down right after the election and saved face. Maybe he was given one last chance to form a Cabinet and not bungle it - a feat of which he was incapable.
While we here at TPR had thought it unlikely due to his unpopularity within the LDP, could it be that Aso is going to step into the Prime Minister’s job? It goes without saying that, if he ever was going to get the job, it was going to be through some kind of smoky backroom deal because he’s a smoky backroom guy.
We here at TPR called it. I got it almost right on the money, which is nice for a change. Being wrong wasn’t that much fun.
Back with more soon.
UPDATE: Kyodo’s Report
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe conveyed his intention Wednesday to resign as premier to executives of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party to take responsibility for causing political confusion, an LDP executive said.
The LDP has told the main opposition Democratic Party of Japan that Abe ‘’will resign…and can’t attend'’ Wednesday’s session of parliament, a DPJ lawmaker said.
Abe will hold a press conference at 2 p.m., his office said.
“Confusion”? Of course. Just as in business. Good old “confusion,” the by-word for corruption, incompetence, anything unpleasant. Why can’t graft from unnecessary public works projects be eliminated? It would cause “confusion.” Why can’t a senior LDP member be held accountable? It would cause “confusion.”
He caused confusion all right, that’s for damn sure. What confuses me most right now is how a PM as bad as Abe could step down and make me think the future looked even dimmer. If Abe is followed by Aso, more competent, probably, but a complete asshole, it would be an out and out downer.
“The bum’s gone! Hooray! Huzzah!”
“He being replaced by one the few guys who could make an even worse hash of things. A more corrupt, racist, bigoted, ignorant, hateful, smarmy hash.”
(sob)
UPDATE:
It’s official, he’s resigning.
Nikkei reports the Yen is falling against the doller due to fears of political uncertainty.
Nikkei’s headline story (Kyodo via Nikkei):
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe announced his intention Wednesday to resign, saying he finds it difficult to regain public trust and to attain an extension of Japan’s refueling mission in the Indian Ocean under his leadership.
‘’I made my determination today to step down,'’ Abe told a press conference.
Abe said he has failed to get an agreement from the main opposition Democratic Party of Japan’s President Ichiro Ozawa to hold a meeting over the extension issue, stressing that it is better for him to step down and have a new prime minister pursue the matter.
UPDATE: (2:35 p.m.)
The 国民新党 (People’s New Party) seemed to be caught off guard. Apparently only the big boys got advance notice.
Some thoughts (an hour later):
The DPJ was pushing for a general election, which we all knew the LDP would have a hard time winning. The question now is to what extent Abe stole the DPJ’s thunder by stepping down, acting as a lightning rod and taking the DPJ best ammo down with him. Is a general election now more or less likely?
And when are we going to know for sure who the next PM is? The suspense is killing me.
Other blogs:
Shisaku and Observing Japan were on top of things, as usual.
MTC’s comments on Abe’s resignation speech were quite good:
Abe Shinzō just indicated his intent to resign…I think.
Honestly, that has to have been the worst resignation speech I have ever heard. It wandered about without engaging the emotions, waltzing endlessly around the point.
The only saving grace: he saw that he had no more pull in Nagata-chō:
“Ozawa Ichirō turned down my invitation to a little get-together of the leaders of all the parties so I decided to speak to my fellow party executives about my intentions.”
Yes, when you’re the PM and you ask the leader of the opposition to come and talk about a piece of legislation vital to the national interest…and the opposition leader blows you off–it is time for you to go.
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