Uphill battle for Kan to put Hatoyama's wrongs to right
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Kan has repeatedly expressed the need for Japan to hike its 5 percent consumption tax and has said the government should not issue more than this year's budgeted 44.3 trillion yen (478 billion U.S. dollars) in bonds. He was the first to declare deflation in Japan last year and has been openly critical of the Bank of Japan for not doing enough to fight deflation and generate effective stimulus measures.
The new prime minister in recent speeches has said the government needs a long-term strategy to deal with the issue of lessening the burden on Okinawa, based on the new U.S-Japan deal, which will see the U.S. Marine Corps. Futenma Air Base relocated to a coasted area within the prefecture, and to chart a close diplomatic course with the U.S. to maintain a trusting relationship, but said a positive relationship with China is of equal importance.
Kan's critics, from public sectors and opposition parties, point to his prior indiscretions as evidence his pledge of squeaky clean politics runs contrary to his true nature.
In 1998, he admitted that he failed to make payments into the state pension scheme for ten months. Although the amounts were relatively small, he quit to avoid hurting the party. Additionally, his image had been hurt by the revelation of an affair with a television newscaster.
As atonement for disgracing himself and his party, Kan shaved his head and went on a Buddhist pilgrimage, in traditional attire, to 88 rural temples around Japan.
In 2004, Kan was accused of unpaid annuities and forced to again resign the position of leader of the DPJ, despite claiming it was a simple oversight on his part. He subsequently resigned as leader.
Despite his indiscretions he is regarded highly by his peers and has a strong following in both houses of parliament. His recent and very public move to distance himself from Ozawa saying that the political kingpin should "keep quiet for a while," has further boosted his support ratings in both public and political circles and according to Harris, the DPJ could do well under Kan, provided a jaded public see his potential and, more, importantly, believe his words.
"They (DPJ) will certainly have a fighting chance in the upper house elections with Mr. Kan who I think will recapture some of the spirit that drove the DPJ to power last year," Harris said in a recent televised interview.
"The underlying challenge is the DPJ has to restore the confidence of the Japanese people in their government. Any serious tackling of the mountain of debt Japan faces, will require the trust of the people, without trust any kind of reform is hopeless. The challenge is to fix the damage Hatoyama did and that of the Liberals before him," Harris said.
The DPJ shot into power amid high hopes last September when it crushed the conservative Liberal Democratic Party that had ruled Japan for the best part of half a century. Voters were inspired by the party's vision to bring more accountability to politics-as-usual, rein in powerful bureaucrats and conduct themselves as a party in a manner that was transparent and in the best interests of the Japanese people.
Kan will not be rewriting the DPJ handbook, he will simply have to ensure, as DPJ President and prime minister that those same fundamentals are adhered to.
"I will make the Democratic Party of Japan a clean party that can be trusted by the Japanese people," said Japan's new prime minister.
