일본 차기 총리 후쿠다 야스오 전 관방장관 선출(미국의 소리)

일본의 집권 여당인 자민당은 지난 12일 전격 사임한 아베 신조 전 총리의 후임으로 후쿠다 야스오 전 관방장관을 당 총재로 선출했습니다.  후쿠다 전 관방장관은 일본의 역대 최장수 관방장관을 지낸 인물로도 유명합니다 .  일본에서는 후쿠다 차기 총리가 훼손된 자민당의 이미지를 회복하고 한국과 중국 등 이웃 국가들과의 관계 개선에 나설 것이라는 기대가 고조되고 있습니다.  23일 실시된 일본 자민당 총재 선거 결과를 좀 더 자세히 전해드립니다.

후쿠다 야스오

후쿠다 야스오 전 관방장관이 제22대 자민당 총재로 선출돼 오는 25일 91대 일본 총리에 취임하게 됐습니다.

일본 자민당 대변인은 23일 자민당 총재 선거 투표가 끝난 후 몇 시간 만에 투표 결과를 발표했습니다.

자민당 대변인은 오랜 정치 경력을 자랑하는 후쿠다 야스오 전 장관이 527표 가운데 330표를 얻어 차기 총재로 선출됐다고 발표했습니다. 

후쿠다 전 장관은 발표가 있은 후 자신의 최우선 과제는 일본 국민의 자민당에 대한 신뢰 회복이 될 것이라고 밝혔습니다.

일본 국제대학교의 신노다 도미히토 정치학 교수는 후쿠다 전 장관은 최장수 관방장관으로서의 경력을 십분 발휘해  일본을 이끌어 나갈 수 있을 것이라고 분석했습니다.

신노다 교수는 후쿠다 신임 총재는 일본이 직면한 국내외 현안들을 잘 알고 있다고 말하고, 그것이 그의 장점이라고 지적했습니다.

자민당 차기 총재로 선출된 후쿠다 전 장관은 아시아 외교를 중시하는 온건파 정치인으로 알려져 있습니다.  그는 앞서 자민당 총재 출마의사를 밝힌 뒤 이웃 나라들이 과거 일본 군국주의의 상징으로 여기고 있는 야스쿠니 신사를 참배하지 않을 것이라고 밝힌 바 있습니다. 

후쿠다 전 장관은 또  최대 현안인 일본인 납북자 문제에 대해서는 "감정론으로 흘러선 안 된다"는 입장을 공공연히 밝혀, 이 문제에 관해 보다 현실적인 해결방안을 추진할 것이라는 것이 전문가들의 분석입니다.

일본은 내각제 국가로 집권여당의 총재가 일본의 총리가 됩니다. 자민당은 일본의 막강한 중의원을 장악하고 있습니다.  따라서 후쿠다 신 자민당 총재는 오는 25일 국회의 총리 지명선거를 통해 일본의 새 총리로 정식 취임하게 됩니다.

아베 신조 총리는 지난 12일 내각 출범 이후 각료들의 잇단  정치자금 스캔들과 지난 7월 참의원 선거에서 참패해 취임 1년도 안돼 총리직에서 사임했습니다. (미국의 소리 2007.9.24)

 

 

 

Busy in-tray awaits Japanese leader

By Chris Hogg BBC News, in Tokyo Mr Fukuda says he has no charisma but is seen as a safe pair of hands Japan's governing party has chosen the son of a former prime minister as its new leader. Yasuo Fukuda, who is 71, becomes the president of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and is certain to be elected prime minister when parliament meets on Tuesday. He is the oldest Japanese prime minister to take office since 1991. He replaces Japan's youngest leader in recent history, Shinzo Abe, who was 53. Mr Abe's short-lived administration was dogged by mistakes and scandals which many said were largely the result of his inexperience. Mr Fukuda, in contrast, is seen by some as a safe pair of hands. Yasuo Fukuda is old but not that experienced Professor Koichi Nakano Sophia University, Tokyo He is a former oilman who himself admits he lacks charisma. "He is often described as boring," says political analyst Tsuneo Watanabe, from the Centre for Strategic and International Studies. "But the other way of looking at that is that he represents stability." On the other hand, as Professor Koichi Nakano from Tokyo's Sophia University points out, he has only held one cabinet post previously. He was the longest-serving chief cabinet secretary since the end of World War II. But that is not the same as running a big department like the finance ministry or the ministry of foreign affairs. Yasuo Fukuda (R) in 2002 and his then boss, ex-PM Junichiro Koizumi "He is old but not that experienced," the professor says. Analysts will be watching the selection of his first cabinet closely, to try to work out whether he will be allowed to lead his party or whether the powerful interest groups, the factions with the LDP, will pull the strings and control him. That is the way it used to work. The faction bosses would often formulate policy in the shadows, making backroom deals with each other. One of Mr Fukuda's predecessors, Junichiro Koizumi, tried to sweep that all away and impose his will on his cabinet. Mr Abe did his best to follow that lead. If ministerial jobs are divided up equally among the eight main factions who have backed Mr Fukuda, that will look like they are again planning to try to control government policy. If Mr Fukuda is given more freedom to appoint who he wants for each job that will signal that he is firmly in control of the agenda. Disgruntled supporters So what will that agenda be? He has already made clear that he wants to try to improve relations with North Korea. He is seen as more of a "dove" on foreign policy than the "hawkish" Mr Abe. He will be keen to try to improve relations with Japan's neighbours China and South Korea. He will push for an extension of Japan's naval mission in support of US-led forces in Afghanistan. That will not be easy. The opposition which controls the country's Upper House of Parliament has promised to block the legislation necessary to extend the mission. At home he needs to try to reconnect the LDP with its traditional supporters, particularly those in rural areas who punished the government in the Upper House elections in July. Mr Fukuda may feel the need to gamble on an early election Many in the countryside complain they have suffered as a result of the country's economic reforms. Mr Fukuda will have to decide whether to increase public spending in those areas, difficult when the country's huge public debt is the equivalent of one and a half times Japan's GDP. He will also face calls for a general election, to give him a mandate to govern. That is a gamble. The LDP currently has a huge majority in the country's Lower House of Parliament. There does not need to be an election until 2009. But now the opposition controls the Upper House they will be able to block, or at the very least slow down or frustrate the government's legislative agenda. Mr Fukuda may feel he has no alternative but to seek the backing of the people for his policy agenda at the earliest opportunity. However, during the recent Upper House elections the leader of the opposition, Ichiro Ozawa, proved adept at winning over disgruntled former LDP supporters in rural areas. So an early election would mean there is a chance, admittedly pretty slim, that the people of Japan might decide that after more than 50 years of Liberal Democratic Party rule, almost without a break, it is time for the opposition to take its turn.

TOKYO, Japan (AP) -- The moderate veteran politician Yasuo Fukuda easily won election as president of Japan's struggling ruling party on Sunday, assuring his selection as the new prime minister in a parliamentary vote later this week.

Fukuda, who served as chief Cabinet secretary from 2000 to 2004, has the support of the major factions of the LDP.

Fukuda won 330 votes to former Foreign Minister Taro Aso's 197 votes, the party announced.

Fukuda, 71, the son of a prime minister from the 1970s, has vowed to keep his country in the fight against terrorism, improve relations with Asia and address inequalities in the world's second-largest economy.

Fukuda vowed on Sunday to rebuild the popularity of the Liberal Democratic Party, which has suffered a year of scandals and policy missteps by outgoing Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who has been hospitalized since announcing on Sept. 12 that he would resign.

"It is natural that we are facing public criticism," Fukuda said in a joint appearance with his rival, Aso, on national broadcaster NHK. "We must make efforts patiently to regain public trust."

Fukuda also pushed his key policies: To further engage North Korea diplomatically, push for extension of Japan's naval mission in support of U.S.-led forces in Afghanistan, and give aid to rural regions left behind by the economic recovery.

"We need to show our intention to continue the mission as a message to the international society," Fukuda said of the Afghan mission, which the opposition has vowed to defeat in parliament. "If this drags on too long we might send a wrong message to the world as if we were not committed to making that contribution."

Fukuda, who served as chief Cabinet secretary from 2000 to 2004, has the support of the major factions of the LDP. His dominance over Aso, a hawk who served as Abe's foreign minister until August, was so clear by Sunday that morning papers had already given him the title of LDP president, and he was asked on NHK if he would choose Aso as his foreign minister.

Fukuda would inherit a political environment and LDP left in serious disarray.

Abe, 53, came into office a year ago with high support ratings and an unquestioned ruling coalition dominance in parliament.

But he quickly frittered away those advantages as his Cabinet overflowed with money scandals and he pressed ahead with a nationalist agenda while people demanded more attention to bread-and-butter issues such as pensions.

The LDP suffered a serious blow in elections in July for the upper house of parliament in which the resurgent opposition seized control of the chamber, heightening calls for snap elections for the lower house as well.

Abe apologized to the party in a message read after Fukuda's selection.

"I apologize to Aso and all LDP lawmakers, party members and the Japanese public for causing a political vacuum," said the note.

Fukuda has arrived as an antidote to Abe. A sober, brainy party elder, Fukuda -- son of a prime minister from the 1970s -- has vowed to concentrate on down-to-earth issues such as economic equality and growth, while seeking warmer ties with the rest of Asia.

It was unclear, however, how long Fukuda would be able to stave off calls for lower house elections. He has termed such calls "understandable."

Media reports said the LDP wanted to pass the Afghan measure and the national budget early next year before dissolving the lower house.

"When the public and lawmakers strongly voice a need to dissolve the parliament, I think it wouldn't be good to resist that call," Fukuda said on NHK.

 

후쿠다 씨 프로필
	후쿠다 야스오 씨는, 1936년, 당시 수상이었던 후쿠다 다케오씨의 장남으로서 도쿄에서 태어났습니다. 부친인 다케오씨는 다나카 가쿠에이 전 수상과, 당내항쟁을 펼친 바 있으며, 수상으로서 일중 평화우호조약을 체결시킨 것으로도 알려져 있습니다. 아들인 야스오씨는 와세다대학을 졸업한 후 석유회사에 입사해 2년 동안 미국 주재를 포함해 17년 동안 샐러리맨 생활을 하다가, 아버지 다케오씨의 비서가 됐으며, 아버지가 수상에 취임하자, 수상 비서관으로서 아버지의 정권운영을 옆에서 보조해 왔습니다. 그 후 은퇴한 아버지의 뒤를 이어, 1990년 중의원 선거에, 당시 구 군마 3구에서 입호보해, 53살에 첫 당선을 이루고, 그 후 6번 연속, 당선됐습니다. 그러는 동안 , 외무정무차관과 자민당 외교부회장, 경리국장등을 역임하고, 2000년, 당선 4회 때는, 2차 모리내각의 관방장관으로 발탁됐으며, 이어 고이즈미 내각에서도 관방장관을 역임했습니다. 후쿠다씨가 국회에서의 수상지명선거를 거쳐 수상에 취임할 경우, 헌정사상 최초로 부자 2대에 걸쳐 수상이 탄생하게 되는 것으로, 아버지 다케오씨와 같은 71살에 수상직에 오르게 됩니다.