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Japanese voters may further weaken PM over nuclear crisis
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TOKYO (Reuters) - An outspoken incumbent looked certain to win a fourth term as Tokyo governor despite a gaffe in which he said a deadly earthquake and tsunami in Japan's northeast last month was "divine punishment," media exit polls showed on...
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A police vehicle drives through a flooded road in an area that was damaged by the March 11 earthquake and tsunami, in Ishinomaki, Miyagi prefecture April 10, 2011.
Credit: Reuters/Toru Hanai
TOKYO |
Sun Apr 10, 2011 9:26am EDT
TOKYO (Reuters) - An outspoken incumbent looked certain to win a fourth term as Tokyo governor despite a gaffe in which he said a deadly earthquake and tsunami in Japan's northeast last month was "divine punishment," media exit polls showed on Sunday.
In the first round of results for nationwide local elections, a pro-nuclear governor was also set to keep his post in Japan's west despite a crisis at a nuclear power plant hit by the tsunami and leaking radiation into the air and sea.
Both are independents but other election results, to be finalized later on Sunday or Monday, could be bad news for Prime Minister Naoto Kan, under fire for his handling of the nuclear crisis, and a boost for rivals who want to seek his resignation once the crisis ends.
The unpopular Kan was already under pressure to step down before the massive earthquake and tsunami struck on March 11, leaving his government to cope with the worst crisis to hit Japan since World War Two.
Many Japanese believe Kan's Democratic Party government should form a "grand coalition" with the main opposition Liberal Democratic Party to deal with the tens of thousands left homeless, a reeling economy and the worst nuclear crisis since Chernobyl.
Observers expect the Democratic Party to lose seats on Sunday, with a heavy loss likely to be blamed on Kan.
"Depending on how badly the Democrats are defeated, the issue of Kan's responsibility could emerge," said Tomoaki Iwai, political science professor at Nihon University.
"Since Kan's departure is said to be a precondition for a grand coalition, such talk could gradually surface."
In Tokyo, exit polls suggested incumbent Shintaro Ishihara, a conservative known for his criticism of China as well as of elite bureaucrats at home, was set to win a fourth term. He was forced to apologize last month after calling Japan's twin disasters last month "divine punishment" for Japanese being egoistic.
"GIVE UP LUXURIES"
Ishihara told national broadcaster NHK he wanted to encourage Tokyo to conserve energy after problems at the tsunami-stricken Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant led to a power shortage in the capital and rolling blackouts.
"People need to give up some luxuries," Ishihara said, calling for shortened hours for "pachinko" pinball parlours and fewer vending machines.
Governors can suggest policies including taxes, but some proposals must be approved by local assemblies.
In the western prefecture of Fukui, incumbent Issei Nishikawa was likely to win despite a challenge from a candidate who wanted to stop plans for new nuclear reactors. At 14 reactors, Fukui has more reactors than any other prefecture in Japan.
Ishihara ran as an independent but is known for his close ties to the main opposition Liberal Democratic Party (LDP). Results for prefectural assemblies and city assemblies, expected later in the day or on Monday, could offer more clues on voter sentiment for Kan and his Democratic Party.
Kan saw his voter support slump to around 20 percent and his grip on power weaken even before the March 11 earthquake, due to policy changes and perceived missteps in diplomatic rows with China and Russia.
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