JAPAN:Embattled Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe has accepted the resignation of his agriculture minister, dealing a further blow to his scandal-wracked administration, writes David McNeillin Tokyo.
Norihiko Akagi, who faced claims that he misused political funds, is the fourth minister to resign from the Japanese cabinet in 10 months.
Mr Akagi said yesterday he wanted to draw a line under the media scrutiny that has dogged him since he took office after the suicide of his predecessor, Toshikatsu Matsuoka, who also faced corruption allegations.
"It cannot be denied that this was one factor in the defeat of the ruling coalition," he said. "I thought I may as well bring this matter to rest." Mr Akagi was immediately replaced by environment minister Masatoshi Wakabayashi, who will hold the two posts until a permanent replacement is found.
Mr Abe's Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) suffered one of the worst drubbings in its history on Sunday following an upper house election campaign dominated by public anger about ministerial scandals and government incompetence.
The defeat is widely seen as punishment for Mr Abe's failure to control his cabinet, including Mr Akagi, whose support group was accused of booking millions of yen in expenses for the use of his family home.
In a sign that he has taken these criticisms to heart, the prime minister claimed yesterday that he had sacked his farm minister, after two months of defending him. "I told Mr Akagi I want him to first reorganise his support office and make a fresh new start," said Mr Abe.
At one stage during the campaign, the agriculture minister appeared in public with a heavily bandaged face, sparking rumours of a punch-up with a colleague furious that he wouldn't resign. One newspaper called Mr Aragi's appearance a "metaphor for the entire battered Abe administration". The election has given the opposition Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) control of the upper chamber for the first time and led to calls for the prime minister to step down, which he has so far ignored.
DPJ leader Ichiro Ozawa on Tuesday called Mr Abe's refusal to quit "absurd and illogical". A poll this week by Japan's two leading newspapers found that almost half the public thinks the prime minister should leave office, with several showing disapproval ratings of more than 60 per cent for his cabinet.
Several foreign newspapers have also demanded that Mr Abe go. The LA Times called him "wildly unpopular" and compared him to US president George W Bush for refusing to admit his mistakes. Mr Abe says that his resignation would create a "power vacuum" and has promised a cabinet reshuffle.
But yesterday's resignation has fuelled calls for an end to what DPJ secretary general Yukio Hatoyama called "instability and uncertainty" left over from Sunday's election. Last night he told state broadcaster NHK that the prime minister was responsible for choosing Mr Akagi and should also resign. "Prime minister Abe lacks the ability to run the cabinet."
The Democrats are determined to press their advantage and force Mr Abe from power. Mr Ozawa has demanded Mr Abe dissolve his coalition government with partner New Komeito and call a snap election of the more powerful lower house.
The ruling coalition still has a comfortable majority in the lower chamber and does not have to call a general election until 2009. But there were worrying signs for Mr Abe last night that discontent is brewing in the party ranks.
"Only one day after Mr Abe talked about a future reshuffle, a minister resigned. The cabinet has a bad sense of timing and crisis management," LDP member Yoichi Masuzoe told reporters.