Daily Lesson from Life 01 September 2008

"Japan PM resigns PM calls for a fresh start after a troubled year in power, but did not name date for election of new leader. -Mon, Sep 01, 2008 AFP

TOKYO, JAPAN - JAPANESE Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda on Monday announced his resignation, calling for a fresh start after a troubled year in power that saw bitter fighting with the opposition.

'Today, I have decided to resign. We need a new line-up to cope with a new session of parliament,' Mr Fukuda told a hastily arranged news conference.

Mr Fukuda said he had already spoken to Taro Aso, the current head of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party and the man likely to succeed him, about arranging a leadership election.

Mr Taro Aso is a former foreign minister who is known for being both more charismatic and more conservative than the 72-year-old Fukuda.

'I believe there will be an election for the party leader. The leader will be appointed as the prime minister,' Mr Fukuda told a news conference. He did not name a date.

Mr Fukuda said he made the decision in light of the tense situation in parliament. The opposition Democratic Party won control of one house last year and has aggressively fought Mr Fukuda's agenda.

'The Democratic Party has tried to stall every bill so it has taken a long time to implement any policies. For the sake of the Japanese people, this should not be repeated,' Mr Fukuda said."

Japan is a very unique country with a very strange political system! Why strange politically system? Well it pretty does not matter who is the Prime Minister as the bureaucrats are the ones who really run the country's affairs! It has some many change of PM in the last 10 years and the past 2 decades that it really does not matter who is the PM!!

This will a horribly wrong for Singapore to have sometime like that. For that matters most of democratically elected governments in other countries!

With Mr Fukuda, the relationship between China and Japan has improved somewhat. With Mr Aso, a known conservative who used to be (not sure if he still is) fairly hawkish on China, there will be tension again! Hopefully I am wrong that Mr Aso, if he is actually elected to take over from Mr Fukuda, can change his mindset!

It seems like the opposition party is opposing any bills that come to the parliament just for the sake of opposing. They are impatient and want to takeover the government in the next general election. Such behaviors, while politically correct, is not conducts becoming of a 7e Leader! As leader, we must be fair and objective in approving policies and processes that benefit the majority of people. We simply cannot abuse our power to veto just for the sake of vetoing!

May there be a smooth transition and that the NEW PM will maintain the cordial relationship between Japan and China. These 2 giants need to keep peace and bring stability and prosperity to the region and the world!