TOKYO (MNI) – Japan’s liberal Prime Minister Naoto Kan on Tuesday
scored an overwhelming victory in the ruling party leadership race
against conservative lawmaker Ichiro Ozawa, reflecting a public call for
the incumbent to continue his policy of creating jobs, fighting poverty
and ensuring social security even through a sales tax hike.
Kan won a total of 721 points in the Democratic Party of Japan
presidential election, beating Ozawa, who gained only 491 points.
While Kan, 63, has a grass-roots activist background and is known
for his fiscal conservatism, Ozawa, 68, is a behind-the-scenes dealmaker
who has in the past led the DPJ to major parliamentary election wins
with promises of larger program spending.
Kan, who assumed the premiership in June replacing Yukio Hatoyama,
is expected to hold a news conference later on Tuesday.
Kan won 249 points from DPJ voters, 60 points from local assembly
members and 412 points from DPJ members of parliament, compared with 51
points, 40 points and 400 points scored by Ozawa.
msato@marketnews.com
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