PM Kan: nuclear issues most crucial in next Japanese election

Prime Minister Naoto Kan believes Japan's energy policy will be the biggest point of contention in the next general election.

There is speculation that he may want to dissolve the Lower House over energy policy. Many Democratic Party of Japan lawmakers, now suspect that Kan may be trying to remain in power as long as possible, and that he could dissolve the Lower House for a snap election to appeal to voters who have started calling for use of non-nuclear power in the face of the crisis at the Fukushima No. 1 power plant.

But Kan, under strong pressure to quit soon, indicated at the same time that he has no plans to dissolve the House of Representatives for a general election while he is in power.

''How to guide our country's energy policy will probably become the biggest issue in the next national election,'' Kan told a meeting of all lawmakers from his Democratic Party of Japan.

Japan's prime minister on Monday created two Cabinet posts to oversee the nuclear crisis and tsunami reconstruction efforts as he hopes to shore up his administration against criticism of its handling of the crises. Prime Minister Naoto Kan named Ryu Matsumoto as reconstruction minister and made Goshi Hosono his minister in charge of handling the crisis at the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear plant. He also gave special advisory positions to two other senior politicians. The moves are seen as an attempt by Kan to strengthen his hand against a growing number of critics who perceive a lack of leadership following the March 11 disaster.


Sixty percent of Japanese voters want Prime Minister Naoto Kan to resign by the end of August, a survey showed, the latest sign of mounting pressure on the unpopular leader to keep a pledge to quit as Japan struggles with reconstruction and a nuclear crisis. A political stalemate over Kan's departure risks slowing efforts to recover from the March 11 earthquake and tsunami and the consequent radiation crisis at Tokyo Electric Power Co's Fukushima nuclear plant, and could delay steps to tackle structural problems including massive public debt.