Departure of Hatoyama

Japan should minimize political fallout

There were two major reasons for the stepping-down of Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama: a festering dispute over a U.S. military base and political funding scandals. He announced his resignation Wednesday as his approval rating fell to the 10-percent level from the 70-80 percent he enjoyed right after his inauguration last September.

His tenure only lasted eight months following a stunning victory by his center-left Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) that ended an almost unbroken half-century of rule by the conservative Liberal Democratic Party (LDP). It is regrettable that Hatoyama has repeated his predecessors' fate of short shelf-lives.

The embedded cause of his resignation was his inability to lead the world's second-largest economy due to his loss of public trust. He reneged on his campaign promise to move the U.S. airbase off Okinawa. That is, he invited his own demise by backtracking on the promise and deciding to keep the base on the island.

The political funding scandals have also taken their toll on his leadership. DPJ's Secretary General Ichiro Ozawa, who is seen as the party's most influential figure, also stepped down over his involvement in the scandals at the request of Hatoyama. The departure of the two political heavyweights, however, is not likely to bring a big change to Japan that has long been mired in bribery and illegal fundraising. Instead, it will deepen political uncertainty and instability.

Now, the DPJ should do its best to minimize the political fallout arising from Hatoyama's resignation by placing a new leadership in place. It is also necessary for the party to regain public trust and push for reform to usher in clean politics and reinvigorate the flagging economy.

Japan's neighbors, including South Korea, have had high expectations for Hatoyama's foreign policy of advocating closer engagement with Asia. Now he is gone. But his successor is required to maintain his policy direction to forge a better partnership with Asian nations.