Embattled Japanese Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori on Wednesday survived a motion of censure in parliament, but his ruling party openly kept up the debate on elections to choose his successor.
The ruling coalition, led by Mori's Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), voted down the motion in the parliamentary upper house.
The censure vote was tabled on Tuesday by the four main opposition parties and a group of independent lawmakers, citing the premier's mismanagement of a submarine tragedy off Hawaii in February that left nine Japanese dead.
The censure move, which only has moral weight and is not legally binding, also cited the arrest of an LDP heavyweight earlier in the month, along with the government's economic policy drift, which was blamed for adding to Japan's woes.
The Tokyo Stock Exchange's Nikkei index plunged to the lowest close since early 1985 on Tuesday. The indicator recovered slightly on Wednesday, but brokers warned the chances of another dip were still high.
And in a fresh blow to the beleaguered administration, eight senior bureaucrats in the Health ministry were reprimanded on Wednesday for accepting lavish hospitality from a foundation of small and medium-sized businesses.
Mori remained tight-lipped following the defeat of the censure motion, ignoring questions from reporters at the prime minister's office.
The coalition closed ranks around Mori amid deepening confusion over his political fate after the premier vowed on Tuesday to hold early elections for a new party leader without spelling out whether he intended to step down.
"The very fact that a lame duck cabinet continues to survive creates an extreme political vacuum," said Masayuki Naojima, a lawmaker from the opposition Democratic Party of Japan.
Mori's ambiguous signals over the party election were seized upon by the Japanese media, experts and the opposition as a sign the premier planned to step down.
The search for his successor was in full swing in the LDP, but the party remained divided over the timing of the party elections. The LDP is the largest party in parliament and its leader automatically becomes prime minister.
Young LDP members are demanding the elections in April, while others, led by LDP policy chief Shizuka Kamei, are seeking to delay the contest until June or even later.
"We will be busy with economic measures in April and May," said Kamei. "We cannot hold elections unless we can revamp the economy and confirm a sign of (recovery)."
Among possible candidates are Hiromu Nonaka, 75-year-old former party secretary general representing the old guard, and reformist former health minister Junichiro Koizumi, 59, the champion of a new generation.
"There is no time to waste," insisted the biggest-circulation daily Yomiuri Shimbun. "Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori's cabinet should resign en masse now."
Mori was to blame for creating a political vacuum, the paper said.
"The situation is odd and difficult to comprehend. With his words and actions, Mori is continuing to confuse the political situation for as long as he can."
The Asahi Shimbun daily lamented the state of political decay.
"The LDP itself is the barrier to change, and has become the main ringleader responsible for the confusion in politics," the influential daily said.
Popular support for Mori's 11-month-old government has plunged below 10 percent due to a series of gaffes and alleged economic mismanagement and threatens to erode the ruling party's support in July's senate elections.
© 2001 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
