Japanese Quietly Seeking to Replace Prime Minister

Japan’s coalition government has quietly begun to seek a successor to Prime Minister Tomiichi Murayama, who is grappling with extreme fatigue and growing public criticism for his slow response to last month’s deadly earthquake, political sources say.

Murayama--the affable Socialist Party chairman who never intended to be prime minister--is expected to remain in his job at least until the next national budget and a plan of emergency earthquake measures are passed by April. But even his Socialist Party admits that all bets are off after that.

“He can’t resign until he completes the earthquake disaster policy, and there is absolutely no talk of him stepping down now within the coalition,” Socialist spokesman Masamitsu Saito said. “But toward the end of April, I can’t deny such talk won’t arise.”

One political adviser to the ruling coalition said Murayama--pressed to become prime minister last year so the Socialists would join the current coalition--has informally signaled his willingness to step down when a successor has been found. The 70-year-old former fisherman is reportedly close to physical and mental exhaustion. Even before the quake, he had suffered from a series of colds and other ailments and reportedly was not eager to make his January trip to the United States, according to Japanese news accounts.

In addition, Murayama is said to be deeply stung by criticism of his response to the disaster, which killed more than 5,000 people. He has been skewered for the delay in dispatching Self-Defense Forces troops to begin rescue work immediately and for failing to order military helicopters or ships laden with relief supplies into the area to bypass the traffic-choked highways.

Although local officials are required by law to request such SDF assistance, critics say the prime minister should have prodded them to faster action as the nation’s commander in chief.

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“I think he’s responsible for letting 2,000 people die who didn’t need to die because of his belated response,” charged Haruo Shimada, a Keio University professor of political economy. “He is a totally incompetent person.”

Calls for Murayama’s resignation have been relatively muted, as overt political maneuvering at a time of national tragedy would be unseemly. But the voices are beginning to get louder, particularly in the mass media.

The rabble-rousing Weekly Post magazine minced no words in its current edition: “Prime Minister Murayama Should Immediately Resign.” The respected Sentaku magazine declared: “Prime Minister Murayama at His Limits” and included a photo of him closing his eyes in fatigue.

The Sunday Mainichi magazine, meanwhile, quoted three opposition party members who said the prime minister actually encouraged them to gather more signatures demanding his resignation; the stunned politicians told the magazine they didn’t know if Murayama was looking for a reason to resign or was simply being defiant.

In recent days, TV commentators have attacked Murayama’s lack of leadership, unfavorably contrasting him with more decisive figures such as former Prime Minister Yasuhiro Nakasone.

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As speculation grows that Murayama is prepared to call it quits, fierce political jockeying has begun over who could take his place and keep intact the fragile governing coalition of the Liberal Democratic Party, Socialists and New Party Harbinger.

Harbinger chief Masayoshi Takemura--the former Shiga prefectural, or state, governor known as a champion of the environment, bureaucratic reform and closer ties to North Korea--is considered a leading candidate. He is trusted by the Socialists and is said to have curried the favor of Noboru Takeshita, the LDP’s most influential kingmaker. But his base of support is small, with only 23 party members, and he is disliked by many LDP members who regard him as inexperienced and opportunistic.

Within the LDP, Foreign Minister Yohei Kono and International Trade Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto are in the running for the top job. Hashimoto, whose slick good looks draw a legion of female fans, is regarded as the most capable candidate, with the intelligence and experience in top Cabinet posts to do the job. But he is widely disliked for his perceived arrogance and penchant for political showboating.

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A wild card is Masaharu Gotoda, an LDP elder statesman whose experience as chief of the national police makes him one of the most feared and respected politicians in Japan. Gotoda, 80, has a proven ability to tame the bureaucracy and a reputation as a fearless fighter against corruption. But he has declined top posts in the past because of his age and has been one of the LDP’s biggest advocates of shifting party leadership to the younger generation.

Coalition leaders, however, are appealing to Gotoda to agree to fill the prime minister’s post temporarily until a more solid political map can be drawn after elections this year or next, one of their political advisers said.

Some coalition leaders are quietly advocating that Murayama step down before upper-house elections in July. The Socialists are expected to suffer huge losses, which would force him to resign as party chairman and prime minister. So leaders are busily planning ways to provide him with a graceful exit before then, such as passage of an earthquake relief package or a new crisis-management plan.

But Takao Toshikawa, a political analyst, said Murayama might reshuffle his Cabinet in August and choose that time to step down.

“People like Mr. Murayama’s personality. They say he’s a good man,” said Hisahiko Okazaki, former ambassador to Thailand. “But in emergency situations, simply a good man is not enough. He has to take responsibility sooner or later.”