icon bookmark-bicon bookmarkicon cameraicon checkicon chevron downicon chevron lefticon chevron righticon chevron upicon closeicon v-compressicon downloadicon editicon v-expandicon fbicon fileicon filtericon flag ruicon full chevron downicon full chevron lefticon full chevron righticon full chevron upicon gpicon insicon mailicon moveicon-musicicon mutedicon nomutedicon okicon v-pauseicon v-playicon searchicon shareicon sign inicon sign upicon stepbackicon stepforicon swipe downicon tagicon tagsicon tgicon trashicon twicon vkicon yticon wticon fm
26 Sep, 2006 07:42

Abe comes to power

Abe comes to power

Shinzo Abe has been elected Japan's new Prime Minister by the country's House of Representatives. He will succeed Junichiro Koizumi who's term expires this month. Shinzo Abe, the newly appointed head of the Liberal Democratic Party easily won the vote

Abe's party has overwhelming control of the House of Representatives. Abe's pledged to maintain the security alliance with the United States, revise the post-war pacifist constitution to give Japan's military more room for action and push ahead with Koizumi's economic reforms. His pledge to reintroduce patriotic education and frequent previous visits to the Yasukuni war shrine, could stir tensions with China and the Koreas, who accuse Japan of atrocities during the Second World War.

Andrey Ilyashenko, a deputy general director, RIA-Novosti comments on the Koizumi’s resign and on how will Japan develop under the new Prime Minister Shinzo Abe:

"Of course, Koizumi will be remembered as an outstanding figure in the history of Japan. Japan was able to overcome economic decline under his rule and administrative reform was carried out by him. But still, some problems were not solved by the previous Japanese Prime Minister.

Japan is the second largest economy in the world and it is quite successful. At the same time, the Japanese economy faces the problem of domestic debt. Abe will have to deal with this problem. There is the way of solving the problem by impolsing higher taxes on consumer goods. And it also can be solved through reducing social programs. These are very unpopular measures and Abe will have to confront this.

The situation with Japanese-Chinese relations is difficult because of the sensational statements made by Koizumi. Abe has already made a statement concerning the dialog between the Chinese and Japan. On the other hand, Abe is known for his nationalistic views which are criticized by many countries. He will have to correct the international community’s view of Japan.      

Podcasts
0:00
23:13
0:00
25:0