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No.210 SIM音読用英文

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Japanese PM Resigns Following Year-Long Political Turmoil
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After a very troubled year

that saw Japan's ruling party embroiled

in allegations of financial wrongdoings and scandals,

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has decided to call it quits.

During a televised news conference, Mr. Abe said he is resigning

because he believes Japan needs a new leader

to fight against terrorism,

and the country needs a new leader

the people can support and trust.

Last week, Mr. Abe said he would resign

if lawmakers did not extend a Japanese naval mission

in support of U.S.-led operations in Afghanistan.

Japan's navy has been refueling coalition warships

in the Indian Ocean since 2001.

The law enabling that mission is set to expire November 1,

and the opposition Democratic Party,

which won control of the upper house of parliament in July,

opposes an extension.

The naval mission has been a priority for Mr. Abe

since he came into office last September,

along with boosting Japan's global influence and revising the
country's pacifist constitution.

Jeff Kingston is director of Asian studies

at Temple University in Japan.

Kingston says Mr. Abe's colleagues in the Liberal Democratic Party
realized

that the opposition's repeated calls for him to step down

could make extending the naval mission very difficult.

"So I think that the party elders realized,

well, if there is any chance to revive this legislation

in some form or another,

and to strike some sort of deal with the opposition

on extending this legislation,

that Abe had to go.”

Yoshinori Suematsu, a member of the Democratic Party in Japan's lower
house,

says Mr. Abe's announcement was irresponsible,

because just weeks ago he had refused to consider resigning.

"Every member of the diet was really surprised

at the sudden news.

We are very much embarrassed

by no clear reason stated by Prime Minister, Mr. Abe."

Mr. Abe and the party received high popularity ratings

at the beginning of the year.

But the ratings have plummeted

following a series of scandals.

First, the government admitted

it had mishandled thousands of pension records.

Four cabinet ministers have since resigned

following accusations of financial wrongdoing,

and a fifth committed suicide

just before being questioned in yet another financial scandal.

Mr. Abe is the youngest Japanese leader in modern times

and the first to be born after World War II.

He was praised for his efforts

to improve ties with China and South Korea,

which were badly damaged

during his predecessor's term.

Naomi Martig, VOA News, Hong Kong.(12 September 2007)
(Material is provided courtesy of voanews.com.)
by danueno | 2007-09-19 17:46 | SIM音読用英文


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