Japan’s Shinzo Abe tipped to resign in June as cronyism scandals take toll
Tokyo: Japan’s Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe, is likely to resign in June after two cronyism scandals sent his approval ratings to an alltime low and risk damaging his party’s fortunes in elections next year, according to one of Japan’s most popular postwar leaders. Junichiro Koizumi, a flamboyant reformer who was PM from 200106, told a weekly magazine published on Monday that Mr Abe has found himself in a “dangerous” situation over the scandals, adding: “Won’t he resign around the time the current parliamentary session ends [on June 20]?” Speaking to Aera magazine, Koizumi said Mr Abe could harm his Liberal Democratic party’s chances in next summer’s upper house elections if he manages to cling on to the LDP presidency in a leadership election due in September. Mr Abe has been badly bruised by allegations of cronyism centering on the heavily discounted sale of public land to the operator of an ultra-nationalist kindergarten in Osaka with links to his wife, Akie Abe. He has consistently denied any wrongdoing, and said he would resign if he or his wife were shown to have been intervened in the sale of the land. The finance ministry recently admitted to tampering with documents to remove references to Mr Abe and his wife in papers relating to the decision to provide an 85 per cent discount on the appraised value of the land.
He is also alleged to have used his influence to help a friend secure permission to open a veterinary school – claims he has rejected.
Last week, however, an official document emerged describing the veterinary school as “an issue that involves the PM”. Although he shares Mr Abe’s hawkish views on defence, Mr Koizumi has emerged as a vocal critic of the PM’s support for nuclear power.
Mr Abe wants to expand nuclear’s share of the energy mix, while Koizumi has called for its abolition following the March 2011 meltdown in Fukushima.
New polls show the twin education scandals have caused dramatic slump in Mr Abe’s support ratings, with many voters saying they were not convinced by his explanations.
A survey by broadcaster Nippon TV released on Sunday showed Abe’s support had sunk to 26.7 per cent, the lowest since he took office in December 2012.