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Koizumi dismisses Tanaka, Nogami over confusion surrounding NGOs

The government of Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi formally relieved Makiko Tanaka of her Foreign Ministry duties on Jan. 30.

Tanaka was fired late in the evening Jan. 29 along with Vice Foreign Minister Yoshiji Nogami. Koizumi asked both Tanaka and Nogami to resign in order to take responsibility for causing confusion during the Jan. 28 Diet session

The confusion came when the two made conflicting statements over whether or not Liberal Democratic Party member Muneo Suzuki pressured the Foreign Ministry to bar two non-governmental organizations from a recent international conference on Afghanistan in Tokyo. Suzuki denied the charges and Nogami backed him up.

Tanaka, who has been a sharp critic of Foreign Ministry bureaucrats, told reporters that Koizumi's administration needs to concentrate on political as well as economic reforms.

"The Cabinet has called for 'structural reforms without sanctuaries,' and I have been looking up to the prime minister's leadership," Tanaka said. "But I felt what was most needed was political reforms."

Tanaka said she would continue to support Koizumi "from the shadows" and hoped he would not give in to factional politics.

Koizumi said he expected popular support for his Cabinet would suffer following the firing of Tanaka.

Shukan ST: Feb. 8, 2002

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News Koizumi dismisses Tanaka, Nogami over confusion surrounding NGOs The government of Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi formally relieved Makiko Tanaka of her Foreign Ministry duties on Jan. 30. Tanaka was fired late in the evening Jan. 29 along with Vice Foreign Minister Yoshiji Nogami. Koizumi asked both Tanaka and Nogami to resign in order to take responsibility for causing confusion during the Jan. 28 Diet session The confusion came when the two made conflicting statements over whether or not Liberal Democratic Party member Muneo Suzuki pressured the Foreign Ministry to bar two non-governmental organizations from a recent international conference on Afghanistan in Tokyo. Suzuki denied the charges and Nogami backed him up. Tanaka, who has been a sharp critic of Foreign Ministry bureaucrats, told reporters that Koizumi's administration needs to concentrate on political as well as economic reforms. "The Cabinet has called for 'structural reforms without sanctuaries,' and I have been looking up to the prime minister's leadership," Tanaka said. "But I felt what was most needed was political reforms." Tanaka said she would continue to support Koizumi "from the shadows" and hoped he would not give in to factional politics. Koizumi said he expected popular support for his Cabinet would suffer following the firing of Tanaka. Shukan ST: Feb. 8, 2002 (C) All rights reserved