Fukuda leads Japan PM race, won't visit Yasukuni

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WORLD / Asia-Pacific

(Xinhua/Agencies)

Updated: 2007-09-16 10:43

Yasuo Fukuda, the frontrunner to succeed Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo

Abe, said on Saturday that he would stay away from a Tokyo shrine seen by

Asian neighbors as a symbol of Japan's past militarism if he were chosen

as the nation's new leader.

Former Chief Cabinet Secretary Yasuo Fukuda (C) speaks to reporters at

his office in Tokyo September 14, 2007. Yasuo Fukuda, the frontrunner to

succeed Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, said on Saturday that he

would stay away from Yasukuni Shrine. [Reuters]

Fukuda made the remarks when he formally announced his candidacy for the

ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP)'s presidential election.

He told a joint press conference held at the LDP headquarters in the

afternoon that Japan should build a secular national memorial facility to

commemorate the war dead, adding that "there is no need to do things that

others hate," according to the reports from Kyodo News.

Fukuda is one of the most Asia-friendly Japanese politicians and has

close ties with China. He proposed to build a surrogate national war

memorial facility during his time serving as chief Cabinet secretary in

Junichiro Koizumi's Cabinet.

LDP Secretary General Taro Aso also filed his candidacy for the party

helm Saturday morning.

The two candidates agreed on the need to extend the Maritime Self-Defense

Force's refueling mission in the Indian Ocean and vowed to continue the

course of structural reforms, the Kyodo News reported.

It is currently a general estimate of Japanese media that Fukuda is set

to win in the duel to succeed Prime Minister Shinzo Abe as eight out of

all nine LDP factions have extended their support for the seasoned

politician.

The LDP decided Thursday to hold the presidential election on September

23 to pick a new president to replace Abe, who expressed his intention to

resign Wednesday.

The LDP president will be naturally appointed prime minister since the

party enjoys the majority in the House of Representatives, which holds

the decisive power in the Diet.