Socialists Will Try to Rejoin Japan Coalition

Despite a renewed offer from the opposition Liberal Democratic Party to name their leader as prime minister, Japan’s Socialists agreed to try again today to rejoin the coalition of outgoing Prime Minister Tsutomu Hata.

Socialist Chairman Tomiichi Murayama met Hata and six other leaders of parties in the coalition Tuesday and said he will participate in an eleventh-hour attempt to patch together a new ruling alliance.

Negotiations on policies for the coalition began this morning. If they are successful, a decision on whom to name as prime minister will follow, the eight leaders agreed.

Although Yohei Kono, the Liberal Democrats’ president, has courted the Socialists fervently, Hata’s coalition has adopted a studied coolness toward the left-leaning party whose April walkout deprived it of a majority. The Socialists hold a swing vote between the coalition and the Liberal Democrats, whose 38-year rule came to an end last summer.

Facing an LDP no-confidence motion he could not defeat, Hata resigned Saturday after talks with the Socialists collapsed.

In a meeting with Murayama on Tuesday night, held after he agreed to make a final effort to reach an accord with the coalition, Kono reiterated an earlier offer of the premiership. The Socialist leader replied that he will contact Kono after negotiations with the coalition.

“Either way, we must make a decision by tomorrow,” Murayama said Tuesday.

Kono and Murayama agreed that the lower house should vote for a new prime minister today, the last day of its current session, to give Japan’s new leader time to prepare to attend the Group of Seven economic summit and meet President Clinton in Naples, Italy, from July 8-10.

Murayama also agreed with the seven coalition leaders to “make supreme efforts” to hold the vote today. Failure to reach agreement would force an extension of the session.