Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama has been under pressure after backtracking on a promise to move an unpopular U.S. Marine base from Okinawa Island.Japan's prime minister announces resignation
June 2, 2010
(CNN) -- Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama announced Wednesday he will resign after eight months in power.
"I'm going to step down," Hatoyama declared in a live broadcast on Japanese television NHK, while addressing party members of both the upper and lower houses of the Diet, Japan's parliament.
"I have had many shortcomings, I have been allowed to lead all of you for the past eight months to today. I am extremely grateful for having been given this opportunity," he said.
Eight months ago, Hatoyama's Democratic Party of Japan won a sweeping victory, an outcome hailed by many as a revolution in Japanese politics.
With promises of a cleaner government, Hatoyama worked to shift the political dynamics in Japan by taking away power from the bureaucrats and granting more power to politicians and local governments.
In his first speech as Japan's 92nd prime minister, Hatoyama made promises that he would conduct a clean and transparent government, launching a task force to monitor government spending.
But soon afterwards, allegations of illegal campaign financing tarnished his administration's image. Some of his cabinet members were investigated for corruption.
His approval rating took further hits over his failed promise to move a major U.S. Marine base off Okinawa to ease the burden of the island, which hosts the majority of the United States military presence in Japan. Earlier this month, calling his decision "heartbreaking," he announced that the base would remain on Okinawa, although relocated to a different part of the island.
Hatoyama's critics claimed he gave in to U.S. pressure, and his government coalition broke up.
Hatoyama said that while he did lose public trust, he hopes future generations will remember his legacy.
"Ladies and gentlemen, I have often been dubbed as an alien and how I understand this is that I see not current Japan but always try to see future Japan," he said.
"Local government, local communities should be the main actors," said Hatoyama.
"In five or ten years people of Japan will understand what I am talking about."
Parliamentary elections are scheduled to take place in July.
The DPJ will now elect a new leader of the party -- most likely on Friday -- who will be in line to be the next prime minister of Japan.
Some time early next week, Hatoyama will dissolve his cabinet in the morning and the new party leader will stand for election as new prime minister by both upper and lower houses of parliament.
"I'm going to step down," Hatoyama declared in a live broadcast on Japanese television NHK, while addressing party members of both the upper and lower houses of the Diet, Japan's parliament.
"I have had many shortcomings, I have been allowed to lead all of you for the past eight months to today. I am extremely grateful for having been given this opportunity," he said.
Eight months ago, Hatoyama's Democratic Party of Japan won a sweeping victory, an outcome hailed by many as a revolution in Japanese politics.
With promises of a cleaner government, Hatoyama worked to shift the political dynamics in Japan by taking away power from the bureaucrats and granting more power to politicians and local governments.
In his first speech as Japan's 92nd prime minister, Hatoyama made promises that he would conduct a clean and transparent government, launching a task force to monitor government spending.
But soon afterwards, allegations of illegal campaign financing tarnished his administration's image. Some of his cabinet members were investigated for corruption.
His approval rating took further hits over his failed promise to move a major U.S. Marine base off Okinawa to ease the burden of the island, which hosts the majority of the United States military presence in Japan. Earlier this month, calling his decision "heartbreaking," he announced that the base would remain on Okinawa, although relocated to a different part of the island.
Hatoyama's critics claimed he gave in to U.S. pressure, and his government coalition broke up.
Hatoyama said that while he did lose public trust, he hopes future generations will remember his legacy.
"Ladies and gentlemen, I have often been dubbed as an alien and how I understand this is that I see not current Japan but always try to see future Japan," he said.
"Local government, local communities should be the main actors," said Hatoyama.
"In five or ten years people of Japan will understand what I am talking about."
Parliamentary elections are scheduled to take place in July.
The DPJ will now elect a new leader of the party -- most likely on Friday -- who will be in line to be the next prime minister of Japan.
Some time early next week, Hatoyama will dissolve his cabinet in the morning and the new party leader will stand for election as new prime minister by both upper and lower houses of parliament.
19 comments:
All khmer in the country MUST to remove him. He never and ever to resigns. He's a dictatorship. Wake up Cambodian inside. Rise up and get him out of power.
You are right KI, Hun Sen should go. Because he fails Cambodian people, not because of his failure to fulfill his promises to international donors.
How about Sam Rainsy? Should he not go too - for failing the anti-CPP groups?
Kuoy Pichet
Historically khmer leaders never want to freely relinguish their power although they are incapable to handle state affairs. That's khmer leaders attitude.
willl the japan pm resign like a samurai...and stab himself in the heart and after he stabs himself in the heart the new pm will cut off his head.....thats how a samurai resigns...i dont know hahah just wondering LMFAO
The only way a dictator leaves is in a coffin.
Apparently, the donors don't think like some of you people and they keep giving. There must be a reason. It's not that they're stupid but maybe it has something to do with how far Cambodia has come? Maybe? I wonder how those brand new bridges, roads, light poles, and many other infrastructures come into being. I don't think those things can physically build themselves. Hmmm!!! I wonder how they got there though.
Youn knows well the Khmer characteristics since centuries ago. Youn uses only right person who can carry out Youn strategy. HUNG XEN is the right selection from Hanoi.
HUN XEN will not go to anywhere. He will do everything as much as possible to preserve his power in Cambodia. Please wait another 40 years after he die then there will be changed.
Hun Sen will most likely die of cancer if he keeps up his attitude abuse his power, and continues to mistreat the people of Cambodia!!
even the most stupid leader can get some light poles, a few roads, bridges, schools up. it doesn't mean he has done a good job, lots more should have been done, never get done - reform legal, political, military systems, poverty reduction, human rigts, press, and so on. hun sen have failed miserably in these areas.
fuck all of u
he!!!!1:22 PM
Ah chhkuot muoy niss mork pina
Compare to Japoneses, Cambodian leaders are just monkeys, they don't talk human languages but beast's..
Hun Sen should resign if he is a true democracy. He has been failing in many ways. From fighting corruption, immigration and to tree cutting by reporting from the global witness.
He must resign!!!!!!!!
There is no shame to hold on to power for the ignorance and the unfulfilled.
Xocheata helps hide Cham encroachment in Takeo too?
Mr. Sam Rainsy should go because he is incapable to lead the SRP and did not keep his promise during the 2008 elections.
11:09
hahah, you thought the same argument can be used for Sam Rainsy? You're stupid and is a shallow individual, ignorant at best.
Hun Sen is at the helm of an entire nation. Representing our entire kingdom. His stamps on what is possible and what is not is entirely dictated by him - even small manners like updating maps and solving farmers problem must be brought to this man.
Therefore, he is accountable not to just a few opposition people. Neither is he is accountable to just the CPP- but the entire Cambodian population.
So he must take responsible decision. The case against Hun Sen is not just that he failed Cambodian economically and leads Cambodia into a future of debt without visions.
But that under his regime and government leadership: Khmer have suffer:
Illegal Deals,
Uncontrollable Deforestations,
Signing of Territories to Neighbors
Bribed Base Court Systems
Force Evictions
Rampant Land Grabbing
Political Assassinations
Political and Law impunity by rich
Drugs and Human Rights Violations
Human and Child Traffic reputation of Cambodia
and the list goes on.
When Sam Rainsy or another leader gets the entire helm of the nation and becomes responsible for these that we must hold accountable for-
then you can say Sam Rainsy or Chan Sokha or whoever the leader at that time must resign.
Right now, Hun Sen must not only resign, but if it is a true democracy, he must be impeached for allowing all those deals to go on with his knowledge and complicity.
Another argument point that you cannot debate against is Hun Sen is steering Cambodia for over 30 years now. What is a few bridges and headlamps when wrestle against an entire nation of corruption?
Hun Sen has no shames, he can't even protect the country from being swallowed by Vietnam. He should be impeached.
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