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Hatoyama lashes out at prime minister

Opposition leader Yukio Hatoyama lashed out at Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi during a Lower House session Feb. 6

Hatoyama said Koizumi's firing of Foreign Minister Makiko Tanaka was evidence of his collusion with antireform forces in the Liberal Democratic Party

Hatoyama, leader of the Democratic Party of Japan, also accused Koizumi of being responsible for the recent drop in the yen's value and stock prices.

"You conspired with former Prime Minister (Yoshiro) Mori and (LDP) Upper House Secretary General (Mikio) Aoki to sack Foreign Minister (Makiko) Tanaka, who was squarely attempting to reform her ministry, in a bid to put the lid on a recent series of scandals there," Hatoyama told Koizumi.

The opposition camp is stepping up its offensive against the Koizumi Cabinet, which has recently seen its public approval ratings fall

"Have you abandoned your ambition to destroy the LDP and change Japan? I am so disappointed," Hatoyama said.

Hatoyama said the economy is already suffering from a vicious "Koizumi spiral." Hatoyama was referring to the recent decline in the yen's value, along with stock and bond prices

The financial markets are said to be interpreting Koizumi's falling popularity ratings as an indication that he will have a difficult time carrying out reforms.

Shukan ST: Feb. 15, 2002

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