Kan steps down as Japan's premier

Naoto Kan announces his resignation as president of the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ), effectively ending his tenure as Japanese leader on August 26, 2011.

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/195828.html

Japan Prime Minister Naoto Kan has stepped down amid plunging approval ratings over his government's handling of the nuclear crisis that followed the March 11 quake and tsunami.

"I resign as the (party) president effective today," Kan told senior party officials, quoted by AFP on Friday.

The expected announcement was made after the parliament passed into law two key bills. Kan had set the passage of these bills as conditions for his departure.

The first bill was on promoting the use of renewable energy and the other on issuing deficit-covering bonds.

Kan, in office for only 15 months, has been criticized for his handling of the nuclear crisis which erupted after the March 11 twin disasters.

The outgoing premier's approval ratings had fallen in recent months due to what critics have described as his little grasp of foreign, domestic and economic affairs. Recent polls show that his public support has plummeted to below 20 percent.

"Under the severe circumstances, I feel I've done everything that I had to do. Now I would like to see you choose someone respectable as a new prime minister," Kan said.

The Democratic Party will vote on August 29 for a new leader who is set to become the Asian country's sixth prime minister since 2006.

The hopefuls include former Foreign Minister Seiji Maehara and the present Finance Minister Yoshihiko Noda.

Noda said on Friday he is ready to take the lead in national politics.

Japan's premier to resign by August 30

Japan's outgoing Prime Minister Naoto Kan says he will resign by August 30. (file photo)

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/195300.html

Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan has announced his resignation, saying that his successor will take over by August 30 amid criticism over his handling of the nation's March 11 quake.

In an informal meeting with his ministers on Tuesday, Kan said his successor will be in office once parliament passes two key bills this week, AFP reported on Tuesday.

''I believe a new prime minister will be decided on August 30,'' he said.

Japan's centre-left ruling party will choose the new premier on August 29 on the condition that two key bills pass this week, said Secretary General of Japan's Democratic Party (DPJ) Katsuya Okada.

The DPJ's board members also agreed on the date for the party meeting to allow for the timely passage of a third extra budget to finance disaster reconstruction and for steps to tackle the strong yen, Okada said.

Finance Minister Yoshihiko Noda, Trade Minister Banri Kaieda, former Transport Minister Sumio Mabuchi and several others are expected to run for the position.

On March 11, a destructive 9.0-magnitude earthquake and an ensuing tsunami struck Japan's northern coasts, setting off a nuclear crisis by knocking out power to cooling systems of reactors at the Fukushima plant and causing a radiation leak.

The devastating quake and tsunami also killed about 24,000 people and ravaged the Fukushima plant. The crisis has displaced about 80,000 residents from around the plant as well.