ASIA/JAPAN - Catholic Taro Aso becomes Japan’s 59th Prime Minister

Tokyo (Agenzia Fides) – The President of the Liberal Democratic Party, Catholic Taro Aso, was elected 59th Prime Minister of Japan after the LDP-controlled lower house overruled the upper house, which had voted for Ichiro Ozawa, the chief of the opposition Democratic Party of Japan. According to the Japanese Constitution, the lower house overrules the upper house. The vote was 337-117.
Aso emphasized that the priority of his governing will be to give new life to the Japanese economy, whish is bordering recession: “The most urgent is the well-being of the people,” he said.
Aso, 68, is former Foreign Affairs Minister and the third Prime Minister in Japan in 2008. In order to end internal political instability, Aso may have to call elections ahead of time (scheduled in October) in order to overcome the impasse that now dominates Japanese politics, with the Liberal Democratic Party holding the majority in the lower house, and the opposition (Democratic Party) with control of the Senate.
The new Prime Minister has formed a Cabinet with very few members, maintaining some from the previous government, which was led by former Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda, who resigned just weeks ago. The election of a Catholic Prime Minister (see Fides 22/9/2008) represents a particularly interesting event in Japanese political life, where religion has never had much influence on public life, however there is a great respect for cultural and religious traditions, which are lived regardless of political affiliation. (PA) (Agenzia Fides 25/9/2008)