New PM Kan intends to carry out Japan-US agreement while sweeping money scandals under the rug

Japan Press Weekly

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New PM Kan intends to carry out Japan-US agreement while sweeping money scandals under the rug

Newly elected Prime Minister Kan Naoto showed his intention to implement the Japan-U.S. agreement while refusing to disclose further information on the money scandals concerning the party’s former two top-ranking officials, Hatoyama and Ozawa.

Following Prime Minister Hatoyama Yukio’s resignation, the DPJ on June 4 elected Kan Naoto as its new president in a meeting of its members of both houses of the Diet. Later on the same day, Kan was elected as the new prime minister in the Diet.

Regarding the Japan-U.S. agreement on the relocation of the U.S. Futenma base reached by former Prime Minister Hatoyama Yukio, Kan said at a news conference held after his appointment as prime minister, “The Japan-U.S. agreement is an agreement concluded between the two governments of the two countries. Recognizing its validity is our responsibility as a successor government.”

This remark indicates that Kan plans to move ahead with the bilateral agreement to construct a new base in the Henoko district of Nago City in Okinawa and to move U.S. military training exercises in Okinawa to other parts of Japan in disregard of strong criticism from the public, particularly from Okinawans.

In his speech at the DPJ Dietmembers’ meeting, Kan said that the Japan-U.S. relations is the basis of Japan’s foreign policy. As for the money-politics corruption scandals, he expressed reluctance to reveal the truth by saying, “Prime Minister Hatoyama took responsibility for this issue by leaving office.”

In a meeting between Kan and People’s New Party head Kamei Shizuka, they agreed to form the DPJ-led coalition government again and to get the bill to revise the postal privatization policy enacted within the current Diet session.

- Akahata, June 5, 2010