Nonaka considers pushing someone else to head LDP

Japan Policy & Politics, July 22, 2003

TOKYO, July 16 Kyodo

Hiromu Nonaka, a heavyweight of the governing Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), said Wednesday he is considering nominating someone to replace Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi as LDP head, saying Koizumi is being ''arrogant.''

On Tuesday, Koizumi reiterated his intention of privatizing Japan's postal service if he is reelected LDP president and said LDP members should replace him if they oppose the plan.

Speaking to reporters, the former LDP secretary general described Koizumi's remarks as ''Arrogant. I am thinking about selecting someone to replace Mr. Koizumi.''

Koizumi plans to include the privatization of the postal service in his pledges during the LDP presidential election, which is expected to take place Sept. 20.

Nonaka criticized Koizumi's move to include the issue in his pledge.

''Japan Post, a public corporation, began its operations based on the law the prime minister proposed,'' Nonaka said. ''Even if he wanted to submit a bill on postal privatization to the Diet, LDP members are agreed that we will not allow that.''

The government has shelved debate on proposals to privatize the postal service the prime minister's private advisory panel put forward a year ago, due to stiff opposition within the LDP.

The panel proposed abolishing the postal savings and life insurance operations, among other options.

Japan Post took over all services of the governmental Postal Services Agency as a step toward privatization.