Uno Flies Home, But Rival Emerges : Faction Upset by Ties in Scandal Boosts Ex-Defense Chief

Foreign Minister Sosuke Uno flew home today to become Japan’s next prime minister but found instead that a rival candidate had emerged within the ruling Liberal Democratic Party.

Uno, 66, had been expected to be elected without opposition to replace Prime Minister Noboru Takeshita, who is resigning over Japan’s biggest political scandal since World War II.

But a small group of party elders and younger members have objected to his connections with Takeshita and former Prime Minister Yasuhiro Nakasone, both of whom have been disgraced by the Recruit Co. stocks-for-favors scandal.

A spokesman for the dissenters said former Defense Minister Ganri Yamashita will run in Friday’s election for party president, a post that includes the premiership because of the party’s parliamentary majority.

The Recruit telecommunications and publishing firm doled out massive payments of money and unlisted stocks to dozens of politicians in an effort to advance its business.

Hours after his return to Tokyo, Uno vowed to pursue political reforms, including an overhaul of the electoral system.

“Of course I will loyally adopt policies based on the party’s plan for political reform,” a smiling Uno told a news conference.

He said he would quit as a member of the party faction led by Nakasone. He declined to comment on what he thinks of Yamashita.

He also declined to comment about Cabinet appointments or economic and diplomatic policies.

Uno stepped off the plane after five days in Europe attending international meetings and was taken into a meeting with Takeshita, who announced his resignation in April.

Party sources said Yamashita did not have sufficient support to make himself an official candidate. According to party regulations, he would need at least 50 of the party’s members of Parliament behind him to challenge Uno.

The sources said he currently has 30 to 40 supporters who are trying to gather more support for their 11th-hour challenge.

Political analysts said that at this stage, the breakaway group appeared to have little chance of reaching this number and their efforts were proving little more than an embarrassment to a party rocked by months of revelations of corruption arising from the Recruit scandal.