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Guardian.co.uk Japan needs leadership, but can Naoto Kan deliver?
Japan's prime minister was in trouble before the tsunami. His response to the disaster could turn things around
Simon Tisdall
The Guardian, Saturday 12 March 2011Naoto Kan, Japan's prime minister, already faced a mountain of problems before the earthquake and tsunami knocked his country for six. Only hours before disaster struck, Kan was insisting he would not resign over the latest party funding scandal. Such declarations have become a bit of a ritual in Japanese political life, and they often presage collapse: the country has had six prime ministers in five years. But right now Japan needs strong leadership like never before.
Kan moved swiftly to take charge in the immediate aftermath of the quake, urging MPs to help him "save the country", ordering troops into the worst-affected areas and shutting down high-risk nuclear plants and transport systems. He is surely aware of the fate awaiting leaders who fail to rise to the occasion when natural disasters hit. Taiwan's premier, Liu Chao-shiuan, was forced out in 2009 after his government mishandled typhoon Morakot. George Bush was almost blown away by hurricane Katrina in 2005.
Perceptions of Kan's performance over the coming days will undoubtedly affect Japan's future political course. According to Eurasia Review, his approval rating stands at 20%, low even by Japanese standards. His ruling Democratic party (DPJ) has lost its way since its historic 2009 victory over the long-governing Liberal Democrats (LDP). Sixty-two per cent of voters think the government is doing a bad job, an Asahi Shimbun poll found this month.
Read More:http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/mar/12/japan-earthquake-naoto-kan-tsunami